


Inhale Air Exhale Fire

by Kismetcanbiteme



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Clexa, Dragon Riders, DragonRider!Clarke, DragonRider!Lexa, Dragons, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2019-08-28 21:29:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16730982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kismetcanbiteme/pseuds/Kismetcanbiteme
Summary: For centuries Dragons and their riders have protected the thirteen clans from threat of the reapers. Now a new clutch of eggs needs riders, and the silver commander and her wing ride in Search. But reapers haven't been seen in decades, and the clans have forgotten which beasts they should fear.orA Clexa Dragon Rider AU





	1. The Fall of the House of Griffin

The wagon rumbled and clattered over the steep cobblestone path jostling the cargo inside. _Might as well be cattle for how many of us are squeezed in here._ Clarke thought darkly as they rode further, but even the dozen or so girls huddled in with her didn’t stop her from shivering in the bitter cold. She told herself it was not from fear. It could be her dress or lack thereof, a strip of cloth across her breasts and a belt with two strips at the front and back didn’t quite make for great insulation against the Azgeda winter. Even the fact that the wagon was closed in didn’t stop the chill. It only made her blind as to where she was being taken. Some of the girls around her had started crying, the youngest for their mothers. Clarke glowered silently. By her estimation she had only been taken from her home about a week ago.

_The book was dull there was no getting around it. It was dull, and Clarke was distracted. For maybe the fifth time in thirty minutes she glanced out the round window of the library turret. Nothing. Not a bird stirred, and it had been that way since six o’clock when she had risen. It was nearly eleven now and still no sign of her father. Griffin estate’s library overlooked the path towards the nearest village, a perfect vantage point for Clarke to keep watch for his return. And she had. For three days now. Three days longer then he said he’d be gone. Jakob Griffin had been called away as a mediator of sorts between Kongeda and Azgeda. The house of Griffin had always been regarded as one of the wisest in Skiakru and they were called upon as diplomats frequently. This was the longest Jakob Griffin had ever taken and his absence settled on the whole household like a frost. Her mother, Abby, had especially looked drawn and pale the longer he stayed away, retiring to her chambers earlier and earlier. Even Clarke’s six-year-old brother had gotten quiet, sulking in the stone halls. His nanny, Emma, hadn’t been so well rested since before he could walk. And Clarke? Clarke just wished her father would come home._

_Suddenly, a great clatter of hooves sounded from outside. Clarke’s blonde hair whipped past her face as she looked to the horizon. The sun blazed over the snow making it look even brighter than usual, but If she squinted, she could make out a horse and carriage. Her heart leapt as she threw her book down, picked up her skirts and raced down the stairs. She was jerked back by tug on her arm as she flew past the study. Abby had a death grip on her as she panted._

_“Wait wait, don’t go out just yet... it... it’s not safe” she looked paler than ever, but Clarke rolled her eyes._

_“He’s been gone for a week and a half! We have to meet him at the gates!”, she tugged her mother along with her._

_“_ _NO Clarke, please wait!”_

_“Finley! Fin! Father’s home!” her brother came barreling out the kitchen, his mop of red hair a blur as he beat them to the front door, but when the young boy wrenched it open, the hulking figure shadowed by the sun was most emphatically not Jake Griffin. He stood dwarfing the young boy looking every inch a savage creature. Dark eyes surrounded by white scars and a rough beard made him look menacing and out of place in the old oak doorway of Griffin Manor. Her mother darted forward to bring Fin behind her, Clarke frozen at the bottom of the stairs._

_“Clarke take your brother upstairs.”_

_“Who is that?”_

_“Clarke do as I say. Now.”_

_Begrudgingly, Clarke crept back up the stairs Fin clinging to her sky-blue skirts and whining the whole way “but… but where’s father? You said he was here but that’s not ... he was supposed to be back…” his blue eyes filled with tears and his bottom lip trembled_

_“I KNOW, Fin” she snapped his face dropped and she instantly regretted her sharp words “Look, I know he said he’d be back soon… but… negotiations are just taking a bit longer that’s all.”_

_“Clarke? Who’s that man talking to Mama?”_

_“I don’t know” she sighed then looked toward her bedroom “but I’m going to find out, stay here.”_

_“_ _But I want to come too!”_

_Clarke debated arguing with him for a bit but eventually gave in gesturing at him to follow before placing a finger to her lips. She crept into her bedroom with Fin at her tail over to the window. Quickly, she gathered and tied up her skirts and made her way down the iron window trellis, leather boots landing silently at the bottom. From the side of the house they couldn’t see much, but as they crept around closer the dread that had been stirring in her gut froze to ice. Not one horse and carriage, but six, with a whole crowd of men (just as rough looking as the first) standing outside the front of Griffin estate. Hulking men with weapons and… torches… at eleven in the morning._

_From there things happened quickly. She heard loud voices shouting and saw her mother ripped from the doorway and thrown to the ground with a scream. Her scarlet gown bright against the snow. Finley went to run forward but Clarke grabbed him, pulled him against her, and put a hand over his mouth to smother his cries. Her mother sobbed where she was crumpled on the ground as the men descended on the house. Emma, Fin’s nanny, was chased from the manor and huddled with her mother in the snow outside. Portraits were dragged out; silver and jewels were tossed from the windows to the men scavenging below. The leader screamed in a language Clarke couldn’t understand as the men ransacked the manor. Clarke recognized her own jewelry box fall from the second floor with a smash to the ground._

_The leader apparently decided he’d had enough and yanked her mother up by her intricate braids “Where_ IS SHE _?” he roared over the chaos._

_“I… I don’t know I told her to go upstairs…” Abby gasped out scrabbling at the hand in her scalp tears leaking from her eyes freely. They were looking for_ her _, Clarke realized._

_“Well you’d better figure it out quick before I decide you’d be a pretty substitute, then what would your_ precious heir _do hmmmm?” he sneered in her face throwing her back down “Or,” he dropped Abby and instead lifted Emma up by her throat as the old woman let out a shriek that tapered off into breathless gurgles, “I might just get angry that I’m not given what I’m OWED and lose my temper…” his meaty hand tightened on her neck as the other men jeered and howled. Clarke had seen enough._

_“_ WAIT _” Clarke darted out from the side of the house. She came to a stop in front of the mob and raised her chin defiantly “You’re looking for me, Right? What do you want with me?”_

_The man dropped Emma to the ground and chuckled darkly. “Indeed, we are, girl” he turned to her mother who was whimpering on the ground. “Consider your debt paid. Your silence is now assured” he then turned to Emma wheezing in the snow “Hers however is not.” With a movement as quick as a breath he slit her throat with his short dagger. Finley shrieked for his nanny from his place on the side of the house. One of the men who had been ransacking the estate struck Finley on the back of the head with the pommel of his sword and lifted him like a ragdoll depositing him none to gently in Abby’s lap. She clutched the boy to her chest as she wept. Clarke felt rough hands dragging her towards the carriages and her eyes darted around in confusion. They dragged her about five steps before she stated to struggle violently kicking and scratching. She managed to draw blood from the eyes of one of her captors and possibly break the wrist of the other before they outnumbered her._

_As she was hauled past her, Clarke looked at Abby with wide eyes “Mother... Mother, What did you DO?” “_

_I’m so sorry” she sobbed “I’m so so sorry but... there was no choice, be brave my girl.” With that she buried her face in Finley’s red curls refusing to look at the scene playing out before her. The man turned and shoved Clarke into the nearest cart tying her securely to its side. As it started to drive away, she witnessed the men setting Griffin Manor ablaze, fire glinting off the white snow, the bloody corpse of her childhood nanny, and her mother cradling her unconscious brother in the snow. It was the last image of her home she saw before the man in the cart with her got tired of her sobs and delivered a swift blow to the back of her head shrouding her world in darkness._

_She eventually woke with bound hands and feet. One of the men tossed her a piece of hard bread and she was given a cup of water to lift clumsily to her mouth. Whatever was in it made her feel weak and cloudy. They traveled on for two days maybe more before stopping at a small cabin in the woods. One of her captors got out and knocked in a pattern on the door to the cabin. He was let in quickly and the door shut behind him. A check point of sorts, maybe? After a bit Clarke was lifted from the cart and brought inside. It was dark and before she had time to appreciate the warmth of the cabin, or for her eyes to adjust, she was knocked unconscious once more. By the time she woke again, dressed in what could barely be considered clothing, it was night fall. Chains bound her wrists and ankles. She was outside barefoot in the snow. Dirty and freezing cold, she was hauled to her feet, forced into a line with about twenty girls ranging in age. Clarke and a few other girls seemed to be the oldest at nineteen years the rest of them ranging as young as twelve, all dressed in the same cloth covering their breasts and belt with two square pieces of fabric hanging down to give off some semblance of modesty. In short, Clarke felt utterly exposed. A thin, middle-aged man covered in furs and leathers with a whip at his side walked and inspected each of them occasionally opening their mouths to look at their teeth. A young boy trotted behind him with a piece of parchment and a quill occasionally jotting things down. (When he tried this on Clarke, he nearly lost a finger “Feisty” he chuckled nastily, the boy behind him wrote something down on his parchment at that) As he passed each girl, he would indicate a yes or no. The “yeses” got a silver collar snapped tight around their throat attached to a chain. The “no’s” were shoved into a group on their own (she would forever wonder what happened to the “no’s”). The dozen with collars (including Clarke) were directed to yet another transport. This time when they were pushed into one cart together, she managed to look at the markings on the sides. She couldn’t read the inscription written but she knew damn well whose they were. Azgeda._

Clarke didn’t think the pounding of her heart could get any louder, but when the cart suddenly jerked to a stop, she was proven wrong. Noises had started to permeate the wall of their holding cell slowly eclipsing the bawling of the youngest girls. They had been traveling for hours upon hours and she could only guess they were now in Azgeda territory. When the doors to the cart were opened, she was nearly blinded by the dawning sunlight and overwhelmed by sounds and sights and noises. They had stopped in what was quite obviously a busy market and were now being roughly led onto a platform in the center. Clarke stopped breathing when she realized what the sigh above the platform read. What their _sale label_ now was. _Bedwarmers_.


	2. The Search Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All! No trigger Warnings this time unless you're afraid of dragons.

Lexa had been staring at the same pair of leathers in her hands for a good ten minutes, trying to figure out a way to make time stretch so she wouldn’t have to do this. _It is necessary, Beloved._ Even Hedath’s comforting rumble in her head could not sooth her this morning. The silver dragon had already left their cavernous rooms and made his way to edge of the cliffside with the rest of their wing. Ever patient, he waited for her to pull herself together. _I know but I just…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a clearing of the throat in her doorway “Lexa, its time”

“I’m aware its time” she said turning her attention back to haphazardly packing her satchel.

“Then why is your wing not ready?” Anya crossed her arms raising an eyebrow

At this Lexa bristled keeping her back to her former mentor “I may have been your second at one point, but I am no longer a child, Anya. I can handle my own wing, _thank you_.” She huffed “We will leave when I determine we are ready to leave.”

“What will the other’s think when their Commander is the last to arrive? The rest have all left on Search, only your wing is left to depart for Azgeda.”

“Ah yes because I’m so eager to return there” She threw an extra cloak into her bag with more force than strictly necessary.

Anya sighed moving to sit on the bed “Look I know your… dealings with their Queen last summer were less then…”

Lexa whirled around to face her mentor, “Dealings?! You mean when she outright insulted our way of life and practically admitted to having a hand in Costia’s _death_? Yes, I see what you mean, I suppose tea time with her is out of the question after _dealings_ like that” she spit out.

Anya eyes grew soft as she placed her hands on Lexa’s small shoulders, “Lexa it’s been four years.”

She deflated at that, “I know”

“Look, you don’t have to deal with Nia this time. Search doesn’t require a formal audience. Send Indra ahead as a messenger and focus on the task at hand.” Anya suggested grabbing the last of Lexa’s things and placing them in the satchel. Lexa pulled on the last of her riding leathers, and cloak.

She sighed, finishing the last of the buckles on her waist guard, “You’re right. I’m letting feelings cloud my judgement and being…”

“Pigheaded?”

At that Lexa fought a smile and playfully shoved at her sister. “Don’t you have better things to do? Doesn’t Laureth have a clutch or something like that.” She teased

Anya practically glowed with pride at the mention of her sapphire dragon, “She’s doing a fine job and rather smug that she managed to produce the first queen egg in two and a half decades.”

“Ah yes, the reason I have to leave my warm comfortable hold and venture into Azgeda in dead winter.” Lexa was really only joking. A clutch was something widely celebrated and honored in the Dagon’s hold and as the hatching of so many eggs neared. The dragons in the hold were growing anxious and had increased their humming near the hatching grounds. Especially with a Queen egg. But dragon’s needed riders. That much had become clear over the centuries of their existence. A piece of a dragon’s soul lived within the human they bonded to upon their hatching and a Queen dragon was no exception. And it couldn’t just be anyone. To share a soul with a dragon took a particular disposition. To share a soul with a Queen even more so. Laureth had produced the next monarch of Ophidia. Anya had every reason to be proud.

Still she laughed and shoved back, “Don’t be bitter, Commander”

“It’s my natural state” Lexa deadpanned

“Now go, strike fear into the hearts of the new riders like I taught you.” Anya brought her into a tight hug and shoved her bags in her hands.

 _Come, Beloved, the others grow restless. Though you worry, I believe our trip to Azgeda will prove fruitful._ Hedath was forever optimistic which never failed to surprise Lexa considering her own pessimistic streak _I’m glad one of us thinks so, are they ready to fly?_ She heard a deep chuckle at that _Most are, but I believe there are one or two in need of your… firm guidance._ She smirked at the image he sent her of Jasper and Monty, two of the newer riders, rough housing on the cliffside having not even readied their dragons for flight. This would be fun.

She finally made it up to the cliff’s edge where her wing waited. Even after three years as a rider the sight of six fully grown dragons still took Lexa’s breath away. They stood almost as tall as houses and in some cases as long as six horses. Glittering scales shone bright in the sun. Hedath was easily the most beautiful as the brightest and largest dragon, with iridescent horns spiraling on either side of his tuft ears, but maybe she’s biased. _You are definitely biased my Lexa but as we share a soul, I suppose it can be forgiven. Now are we ready?_  She snorted and dropped her bags onto the grass beside her. _Not all of us._

Lexa narrowed her eyes and came to stand before the group. In a voice that was deadly calm she addressed her wing “I expect each of you have readied your dragon’s for flight and are prepared for the Search ahead”

Jasper and Monty upon noticing her immediately scrambled to stand beside their respective dragons straightening their leathers and looking sheepish.

Lexa raised an eyebrow and clasped her hands behind her back “Today we fly in Search. Specifically, for a queen rider but any potential candidates we see on the way are not to be overlooked. This particular clutch is large, and the hatchlings will need options for potential riders to bond with.” Her riders nodded their understanding. The bond between dragon and rider was sacred. “However, we are looking first and foremost for our Queen rider. It has been quite some time since there has been a Search like this. So, I will remind you of the qualities we are looking for.” Lexa’s brow’s furrowed as she tried to impress the importance of this task, “Intelligence, a stupid Queen rider would spell disaster for Ophidia so let’s not even let it be a possibility, a natural skill for fighting, not as important but still something to look for. And most importantly, a strong will. This is paramount. I refuse to bring weak candidates back to Laureth’s clutch. Understood?”

“Yes, Commander.” Came the resounding answer

“Indra.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Lexa squared her shoulders, “You and Karenth fly ahead to let the Ice Queen and her Lords know of our arrival and Search. I expect they know their duty to the hold.”

“Yes, Commander.” Ever loyal, Indra mounted Karenth and together they flew Northward in a rush of red and black. Lexa had no doubt they would be back in formation within the hour. Karenth was by far the fastest dragon in her wing.

She turned back to the rest of her wing “You have your orders. We will split up among the sections of Azgeda in pairs. Jasper. Monty. You will take Northeast and Northwest. Raven. Maya. Southeast and Southwest. Indra will meet up with me to take the center market and inner-city. Understood?”

“Yes, Commander.”

As she mounted Hedath she couldn’t help the burst of apprehension about their destination. _Calm yourself, Beloved. All will be well._ She sighed and shuddered as they took off. _I hope you’re right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All! see told you there'd be dragons. Now on to the search. Leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts.  
> Toodles!


	3. The Search Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All! As always Safety first. Twigger Warnings for this chapter  
> TW- Blood, Violence, sex trafficking, sexual molestation   
> Happy Reading!

“Come now, lads! She’s worth more than that! Let’s up the bidding shall we! What say you? Twelve duckets, sir, for the fine little missy with the red hair and the tight little arse!” The rough hold the portly auctioneer had on the frightened redhead never loosened even as he turned her around to fondle at her backside with his meaty hands. The crowd jeered and snickered. Clarke stood shivering, glaring into the crowd looking for exits. She was dismayed to find herself surrounded. The platform was encircled by at least fifteen of the same rough looking men who had brought her here. “Traders” she’d heard them called. They were defiantly Azgeda, but they had started speaking the Common Tongue as soon as they got to market meaning the crowd was from multiple clans most likely. Clarke was shocked. Slavery had been outlawed ages ago in The Dragonian Law, and while Skiakru observed it reverently it was evident Azgeda _did not_. She had been sure the other clans did though, and yet so many people in the market were looking on as though this was a common occurrence in the other clans as well, that they regularly dragged half naked girls to be bought and sold like-

The auctioneer gripped Clarke's face in one hand so hard her cheeks ached and shouted out into the crowd with rancid breath “And now for blondie! I warn you, lads, this one’s got a little _spirit_ in her, but I bet she’ll bend _real_ easy if you put a little something else in her eh-” His raucous laughter was cut off when Clarke spat at him. As he spluttered, she used the weight of the heavy chains binding her wrists to strike him clear across his temple.

She straightened panting, jerked her chin up, and made a call of her own into the crowd “I am Clarke Griffin and I am _not_ cattle to be sold. _NONE_ of these girls are _cattle_ to be-” She felt a burning pinch at the back of her head and cried out at the pain.

The auctioneer had recovered himself, blood oozing from his temple, and now gripped the scruff of Clarke’s neck. Two of the other men came around to grip her arms as he forced her to her knees. He pulled out his whip intent on teaching her, and every other girl on that platform, a lesson. “You stupid little _cunt_. You _filthy_ Skai witch! I’ll teach you to speak to your betters.” The whip came down flaying open her skin burning something fierce, but she refused to scream out of pure spite. “Twenty lashes for your insolence, _whore_!” Clarke preemptively winced as he raised his arm again.

But the second blow never came. The gasp of the crowd and the screams of the other girls however rang out sharply. The grip of the men on either side of her loosened. Clarke managed to turn her head upward to see a dagger buried deep in the auctioneer’s wrist. He staggered back with a yell cradling his pierced arm and dropping the whip. Cries of fear and bewilderment came from the crowd.

“Enough.”  A low voice broke through the confusion, and a lithe figure stepped forward in a long coal grey cloak. She lowered her hood revealing intricate brown braids, sharp green eyes, and harsh black war paint. In short, she was the most compelling, intimidating creature Clarke had ever seen. As she stepped forward the crowd parted for her. She shook her cloak back to reveal intricately buckled layers of metal and leather and a bright red sash that denoted exactly who she was.

The murmurs that shot through the crowd buzzed like mosquitoes. Clarke only caught snippets “The Silver Commander” “Here of all places?” “Lexa…” “Dragons in Azgeda…” “I hear they ride on Search”

“I see Azgeda breaks with traditional law and allows the sale of _people_ in their market.” Lexa said striding forward calmly, hands clasped behind her. Her face betrayed no sign that she had just impaled a man’s arm with a dagger moments before. She made her way onto the platform where the man still stood simpering and viciously yanked the dagger from his arm. He let out a yowl of pain and staggered off the platform entirely. Meanwhile, Lexa cleaned the blood off her dagger, and seemed to nonchalantly inspect her surroundings as though she were casually strolling through a garden. Not breaking up an illegal trading ring.

One of the braver Traders stalked forward “Listen, Dragon Rider, this is none of your concern…” Most of the men had given the commander a wide berth and for good reason.

Lexa’s eyes turned icy, and her jaw tightened betraying the first hint of emotion Clarke had seen from the woman “On the contrary, as the queen’s commander it is _my concern_ what atrocities happen within the thirteen clans.”

The man crossed his arms and replied “Well, we have quite a different queen here then, don’t we?” he sneered “For example, our queen is _human_. And under her law…” The dagger appeared under the man’s chin in an instant.

Lexa’s voice sank down to a deadly whisper. “Am I to understand, that you believe yourself immune to _The Dragonion Law_ simply because your _queen_ happens to permit you to break it?”

The man gulped and steeled himself “I do.”

“Well then, allow me to reeducate you.” Lexa said with an acidic smile. “When The Dragonion Laws were drawn up between the clans it was for the good of all parties. In exchange for basic human decency, an end to war between the clans, and the abolition of trades such as slavery,” at this her eyes flashed, “dragons and their riders would protect the now united clans from those that would harm them. Namely Reapers.” She pushed her dagger further under his chin, “Now, unless I am incorrect, which I very rarely am, those laws have not changed have they?” the man’s mouth remained clamped shut. “HAVE THEY?”

“No m’lady.” He spit out.

Lexa finally brought the dagger back to its sheath “No, they haven’t” she said. “Furthermore, we ride on Search, and is it just me, Indra,” She whirled around to find her right hand smirking up from the crowd, “or does it seem like Azgeda, aside from these ladies of course, looks rather male today?”

“Yes, Commander”

Lexa’s eyebrows drew together in false confusion “Huh. Strange. Almost as if Azgeda is hiding their daughters from the Search. As if Azgeda does not consider being Searched a great honor anymore.” she shrugged “It seems to me that if no other ladies from Azgeda appear then I suppose these will have to do.” She gave on overly dramatic sigh and made her way off the platform over to Indra.

The man clearly had not learned his lesson and stumbled down the steps after her “What?! You can be serious these are my-” Lexa shot him a look so fierce he actually cowered beneath it and tried a different tactic “these are hardly suitable for the dragon hold look at them…”

“Strength is born from adversity, and these girls certainly look as though they’ve seen their fair share of it.” Lexa said shrugging and turning from him.

“They’re not for sale” the foolish Trader said steeling himself in a final attempt to keep his business.

The Commander turned slowly, and Clarke truly believed the woman was part dragon in this moment. “You’re right, _they’re not_ ” she briskly walked toward a nearby market worker “You, fetch two carriages, and blankets from the nearest shop” the man scurried to do her bidding

“You can’t do this!” The Trader grabbed Lexa’s arm harshly to turn her around. Suddenly a deafening roar muffled all other sound as a great silver dragon rose up over the market casting the square in shadow, eyes burning as brightly as his mistresses’. Clarke knelt mesmerized by the beauty and ferocity of such a beast. The crowd gasped, and screams rang out. The Trader released Lexa’s arm as though he’d been burnt.

“I think you’ll find I can. I will also be sending riders here regularly from now on to ensure this kind of vulgarity is never seen in this marketplace again.” And with that she and Indra headed up toward the platform. The crowd quickly dispersed, wanting nothing to do with the furious dragon rider. Indra rounded up the frightened girls to begin removing their chains and placing them into the carriages that had just arrived. The Commander reached Clarke’s side and helped her to her feet.

“Thank you.” She murmured

Lexa shook off her thanks and turned her around, “Let me see your back”

“Its fine, I’m fine” Clarke assured her

The Commander looked at her doubtfully, “We have a long journey back to Ophidia. You certainly can’t ride like that, it needs stitches and cleaning.”

“With all due respect, Commander, I won’t be going to Ophidia. I need to get back to my family... I need to find my father.” Clarke replied straightening her shoulders trying not to wince as the motion aggravated her injury.

“I don’t think you understand. You’ve been searched.” The dragon rider said slowly.

Clarke felt herself flare up at her tone. “I understand perfectly. I was searched. Very well, we all were. That means nothing. Thank you for freeing me, but I can’t go with you. I must find what’s happened to my family.” She turned and started to walk away head held high but still shaking from the cold.

“With what?” Lexa’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks, “What do you have right now but the scraps of clothing on your back? If I leave you here, you will freeze to death before you find someway out of the city. That doesn’t sound like a very sound plan to me. You may have been someone in Skiakru, princess, but laws in Azgeda work very differently. You could end up right back where you were. And you weren’t just searched with everyone else, you were searched specifically.”

“What do you mean?” Clarke turned slowly to face her savior.

“I searched _you_. I merely used the Search as an excuse to take to other girls from this hideous trade as well. They are free to come with us, but they will not stand on the hatching grounds as candidates. I am offering that honor to you alone”

“Stand on the hatching ground? You mean become a dragon rider?” She asked blue eyes widening at the notion.

“If you bond with a dragon, yes. We are searching primarily for a queen rider. Laureth has clutched the first queen egg in 25 years” The Commander’s tone softened as she saw the interest sparked in Clarke’s eyes.

Clarke stiffened fortifying her defenses then, “Why not just use the girls in the dragon’s hold in Ophidia? Surely one of them must want to be queen.” She scoffed

Lexa shook her head, “It doesn’t work that way. Tradition states the queen rider must come from the lands outside Ophidia.” She huffed growing impatient, “Look, come with us to the Dragon’s hold. Gather your strength. If you don’t bond, then I will provide you with enough supplies for a month, fly you wherever you wish to go, and you’ll never hear from the Hold again. If you are bonded, then you will become a dragon rider with the ability to go wherever you please yourself to find your family and the authority to sort out whatever mess I assume got you standing on that platform.”

The blonde hesitated “It might be too late by then…”

“That’s my offer, take it or leave it.”

Clarke looked into Lexa’s eyes then. In their green depths she found nothing but sincerity and surprisingly enough, tenderness… concern? She broke the spell by looking away and offering her bound wrists. “Deal” and with that Lexa removed Clarke’s chains and lifted her into the carriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you reading, the sex trafficking ends don't worry. I cringed when I wrote it tbh, but I promise it is necessary to the plot.  
> To the lovely Kudos and Comments, thank you! It's very sweet and I appreciate every one of them!  
> More Dragons ahead!  
> Toodles!


	4. The Search Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings this time lovelies  
> Happy Reading!

Clarke had never been so grateful for a piece of fabric in her life. In the tumult and shock of the past few hours Clarke had seemingly forgotten how cold she was, but being handed a blanket seemed to bring all of that rushing back and she burrowed into it gratefully. One of the younger girls with dark hair and big dark eyes seemed to have identified her as a protector of sorts and snuggled into her side quietly as the carriages rumbled along. Clarke hadn’t realized at first that they had girls so young with them, but this girl was barley an adolescent. She couldn’t say she minded the extra body heat (or the comfort) and wrapped an arm around the child. As they made their way through the dense fir trees she could hear sound of the sea and smelled salt in the air. She shivered as the icy breezes got stronger.

All was silent until the small voice from her side piped up. “Ma’am, where are we going now?”

Indra didn’t turn from where she was driving the horses. Clarke didn’t know what to make of the fierce dark woman with the stoic features. Indra’s brows seemed permanently furrowed, and she was dressed similarly to the Commander. However, her voice gentled at the child’s question “Someplace safe, Little one”

The formerly silent girl by Clarke’s side sat up straighter and said “Look, I’ve had enough of people carting us around blindly. We deserve to know where we’re being taken since we really have no say in it.”

Lexa answered from the carriage behind them as they stopped on a cliffside clearing. “We’ll be going to Ophidia, but first we must meet with the rest of our wing.”

The girl’s bravery seemed to inspire the other girls to speak up as well, and quickly there was a cacophony of questions. 

“And then?”

“How will we get there?”

“Do we really  _ have _ to stand on the hatching grounds?”

“I thought the dragon riders only took two from each clan?”

“Are there dragons _ here _ ?”

“Is there enough room on your dragons for all of us?”

Finally, the Commander stood raising a hand to silence the women “No, some of us will be flying ahead to get to the hatching ground in time for the hatching, but the rest of you will be crossing the sea by boat. All of you, with the exception of Clarke, will travel to Polis, the city at the center of Ophidia. There is a shelter there that will provide you with a warm bed and food... and help you get back to your families if that’s what you wish.”

The group erupted a second time 

“Why can’t we do that now?” 

“Yes! I want my Mother!”

“The city of Polis!”

“I’ve never been this far from home before.”

Lexa’s hands came up again, and she had to raise her voice to be heard above the din “We do not have the time to take you all with us on dragon back.” she said “The hatching could start any day now.  However, Indra will stay with you as a guard and see to it that you are all cared for. We cannot help you all if we stay in Azgeda. Laws will not protect you here. In Polis we can give you your best chance at survival and your best chance at finding your families.”

This seemed to quiet the group until the voice at Clarke’s side spoke again this time quietly. “...So we won’t get to ride a dragon?” 

At the disappointment in her high voice Lexa turned slowly toward her, an eyebrow raised, “Did you wish to ride a dragon, young one?’

The girl gave an excited nod dark curls bouncing,  “Yes please! I want to fly! Can I ride a dragon, Commander? I promise I won’t be any trouble! I’m very light. Please!”

Lexa looked like she was trying to hold back a smile and failed miserably. She suddenly made her tone formal clasping her hands behind her back and striding over to their carriage “What’s your name, child?”

The girl seemed to remember herself and huddle back into Clarke slightly “Madi…, Commander”

“And how old are you Madi”

“I’m ten” 

“And your parents?”

“Dead” she said after a long silence.

Lexa inhaled sharply through her nose and turned briskly over to Indra saying “Yes, I believe _ she _ will be coming with us to the hold as well.” Madi’s eyes popped wide open and her jaw dropped. The Commander addressed her right hand again. “Indra, let the dockworker know we’ll be needing his fastest ship to make the journey across the Polarian Sea.”

“Yes, Commander” Indra walked the steep trail to the seaside shack by the docks disappearing for a brief while. She returned with an old weathered man.

The Commander helped Madi and Clarke down from their carriage and handed the reins off to the dockworker to take the girls down to the ship. “You should arrive in Ophidia in two days time. Polis is a day’s journey by carriage from the coast. Indra is my most trusted Rider, she will keep you safe. May we meet again.”

“Thank You Commander” said a soft spoken young woman. Clarke recognised her as the redhead that had almost been auctioned and felt a burst of warm relief that the other girl had made it out unscathed.

The carriages disappeared down the trail to the docks leaving Clarke, Madi, and Lexa standing on the wide cliffside. Madi began to fidget and asked  “What are we waiting for?”

“The others” Lexa said smiling knowingly.

“What others?” Madi asked.  Lexa looked skyward. Madi and Clarke followed her gaze

As if called, three dots appeared in the sky slowly enlarging until three brilliantly colored dragons appeared, their wings stirring huge gusts of wind that whipped cold air across the three standing on the cliffside. Madi and Clarke huddled further into their blankets. The dragons circled until they landed one by one. The silver dragon Clarke had seen in the market was even bigger than he had first appeared and gleamed in the sunlight. It almost hurt to look at him. He landed beside the Commander lowering his great head until it was at her side. 

“His name is Hedath.” Lexa said to a starstruck Madi.

Beside Hedath, a smaller jet black dragon with iridescent ridges landed with his rider. Curiously, the right wing of the dragon had bits of metal boning and bolts bracing it. Clarke couldn’t get a good look but the black scales beneath the metal looked tattered and torn. Furthest from them an even smaller dragon landed, this one a burnt orange creature with spiked wings and horns carrying two riders. 

The rider of the black dragon dismounted quickly and walked… or rather limped slightly over to the Commander. Clarke couldn’t help but notice her right leg in a similar state as her dragons wing. The woman caught her stare and met it challengingly. Clarke held her gaze and the brunette smirked as if Clarke had passed some sort of test. Turning to the Commander she said “I see your search went well”

Lexa nodded curtly, “and yours Raven. Is that her with Maya? Where is she from?”

“We found her hidden beneath the floorboards of the Southern Lord’s manor making quite a ruckus. Apparently, she had been punished for “promiscuous conduct in the presence of her Lord and Master.”” Raven rolled her eyes, “In other words, he wanted to bed her and she gave him a black eye and a sore groin for his trouble.” she grinned at that, “Came with us pretty willingly when we told her who we were. She’s Bellamy’s little sister. She hasn’t seen him since he was searched, and they lost contact when she was kidnapped and found herself working for the Southern Lord to survive. She claims she’s Skiakru, Octavia of the House of Blake. Apparently, a month ago a mob of Azgeda warriors came to her house, killed her parents, and burned the place to the ground. She managed to escape but didn’t get far before they found her and brought her here. The idiots didn’t even realize she was a Blake. Good thing though. They would have murdered her on the spot” At that Clarke’s eyes narrowed, so it wasn’t only her family being targeted...but why would Azgeda leave herself, her mother, her brother, (and hopefully her father) alive? 

Lexa seemed to find this interesting as well lowering her voice. “Clarke is from the House of Griffin another prominent Skaikru House. And we found her…”she glanced down at Madi deciding something before seemingly looking very intently at nothing, eyes glazing over. Raven’s eyes glazed over as well and widened when they came back into focus a few minutes later. Lexa nodded, and Clarke found herself wondering what she had missed. “That’s where Indra is now.”

Raven’s eyebrows rose “Oh, I expect the queen will hear about this.”

“Astute of you.” Lexa said wryly

As they finished their conversation two more dragons appeared in the sky, one a dusty grey and the other a smaller deep violet dragon. Their rider’s, both male, dismounted and headed over to their commander. 

“We found no candidates to the North, Commander. Apparently, Azgeda doesn’t feel very giving to the Hold this Search” The one who dismounted the grey dragon said bitterly.

“So it seems. No matter, Jasper, I have two to stand on the hatching grounds. That combined with the candidates from the other clans and the of-age seconds from the Hold should make for a decent selection for the hatchlings”.

“Will we be going now?” Madi asked clutching at Clarke’s hand.

“Not quite yet, young one.” Lexa answered “You’re not... dressed for riding, and Clarke needs medical attention” she cast her sharp green eyes on the blonde who tightened her jaw.

“Really I’m fine” Clarke ground out shaking in obvious pain. She met the Commander’s eyes fiercely.

Hedath gave a low grumble disrupting their stare down and brought himself gracefully forward to wrap himself around both Clarke and Madi, long tail keeping them pressed firmly to his warm side. His huge head came down right in front of Clarke who hesitantly reached out a hand to scratch behind his silver tufted ears. The dragon began a steady hum that Clarke felt like she should interpret as a purr. Madi couldn’t contain her giggles at the ferocious beast being pet like a kitten. Even Raven let out a snicker. Lexa on the other hand looked mortified. Eyes wide and tanned features paling, hardly the image of “cool headed, unaffected Commander”. The dragon suddenly looked away from Clarke and glanced at Lexa, brought his head away from the scratching, and stopped humming abruptly looking thoroughly chastised. Clarke couldn’t help but feel as though she’d missed something again.

“Who’s the kid?” Raven asked breaking the sudden tension 

Lexa looked up startled and then proud “My new second.”

Madi’s head whipped up “Really?!”

Lexa nodded “If you would like. You will have to train hard and-” suddenly she had an arm full of ten year old as Madi hugged her tight about her waist. Clarke couldn’t help the smiled that curled her lips then.

Lexa seemed to compose herself gently detangling her body from the excited child. “It’s settled then. Raven, see if you can find something for Madi to wear on the ride. I should be able to find something for her when we get to Polis, but for now get her something warm”

“Come on kid, lucky for you my growth was stunted by an alcoholic mother”

“Raven!”

“What? I’m making conversation!”

“Clarke” Lexa turned to Hedath’s side tugged at a saddlebag Clarke hadn't noticed before and brought out a medical kit.

Clarke sighed “I’m telling you its…”

Hedath rumbled louder pulling her closer and used his tail and claws to turn her so that her injured back was exposed to Lexa and she was held snugly in place. “This is unfair” she huffed.

She could hear in Lexa’s voice that she was on her last nerve “You  _ can’t _ ride with your back like that, you’ll injure yourself further” then softer “Let me treat it?”

Clarke closed her eyes “Fine...Thank you by the way. I think I thanked you before but really... you saved us”

“It’s my duty” Lexa mumbled spreading a numbing salve onto Clarke’s wound “I’m not very good at this, but I know enough to get you through the ride to the Hold without too much damage. We can have our healers look at it when we get there and treat it properly” she warned before beginning her stitches. Lexa was right. She wasn’t very good at them, and the numbing salve couldn’t quite dull the sensation of being stitched up or the pain each time she aggravated the wound.

Clarke flinched hard at a particularly sensitive spot, and Hedath began a low rumble pulling her even closer his snout back under her hand. “Is he always this friendly?”

“No” Lexa answered shortly

Clarke got the feeling she shouldn’t dig further into that.

The rest of the stitching was done in silence and bandaged until, “There, done. I have some clothes that should fit you in here.” she rummaged in the saddlebag again and pulled out some tight looking leather pants, thick socks, boots,a thick, forest green, woolen sweater, and a soft, warm looking grey cloak. 

Clarke almost moaned at the warmth when she slipped on the sweater over the chest wrap and pulled the pants (delighted to find they were lined in fur) on under the makeshift skirt, ripping the belted thing off once she was decent. She pulled the socks and boots on her bare feet. She was about to put the cloak on when Lexa grabbed her wrist glaring at her neck. With the tip of her dagger Lexa cut the small leather buckle that held the silver collar in place and threw it violently into the water beyond the cliff. They locked eyes once again in a wordless exchange.

The moment was interrupted by a clearing of the throat “Are we ready?” Raven seemed anxious to get going. Her dragon was agitated as well, scuffling at the ground. Madi was already astride the great black beast, dressed warmly, and practically vibrating with excitement. 

“Still yourselves, you’ll be with them soon.” Lexa answered with a roll of her eyes. She turned to Clarke “Here, he’ll help you up, I’ll hold onto you. I promise I won’t let you fall off” Clarke had been too busy staring at the commander to register that they were about to leave. That they were about to  _ fly _ on a  _ dragon _ . Before she could talk herself into a panic though, a great shining claw was presented as a step up, and she was suddenly in a wide black saddle with Lexa seated behind her.

The only thing Clarke could bring her weary mind to think about was that the dragon wore no riens How on earth would Lexa steer them? The brunette seemed to have no issue with that because soon there was a warm body pressed tightly against Clarke’s back and an arm around her waist. Stunningly, she was unable to focus on anything but  _ that. _ So it  _ really _ was a shock when the mighty dragon unfurled his great luminescent wings and hurled them off the side of the cliff.

Clarke couldn’t help her gasp of sudden fright, but the arm about her waist tightened and another arm came up to join it calming her. Once the fear had worn away there was only awe. The wind stung her nose and cheeks, but it was eclipsed by the kind of freedom and ecstasy that only came with dragonflight. She decided in that moment that she was going to enjoy every second of it. Madi had already taken to flight like a duck to water, giving great whoops of joy the minute Raven’s dragon had left the cliffs. Somehow, Clarke found that both amusing and unsurprising.

It could have been hours. It could have been minutes but as they neared a beautiful coast of mountainous lands she heard a warm low voice in her ear. “Welcome to Ophidia, Clarke”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for your lovely kudos and comments! I love hearing what y'all think! Updates will probably be a bit more spread out from this point forward.  
> Toodles!


	5. The Dragon's Hold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Trigger Warnings for this chapter lovelies!  
> Happy Reading

If Clarke thought the coast was breathtaking, the view above Ophidia was even better. They passed low over the city of Polis, so Clarke could see beyond Hedath’s great wings. There were markets and strings of lanterns lighting up the evening. The tower in the center blinked with a bright flame, and the great buildings looked warm and inviting “They’re preparing for the winter festival, it’s coming up in a week” Lexa said from behind her.

The stars above them shown even through the glow of the city below. Eventually, they passed over it and made their way a bit further, past a great forest to the largest string of mountains Clark had ever seen. It twisted and turned with huge glowing caverns in its sides. The clearings in between were alive with people coming in and out of the mountains’ bases. Some of the mountains were carved with wide open tunnels and others had cliff edges perfect for Dragon landing. It was the most awe-inspiring thing Clarke had ever laid eyes on. It was on these ridges, toward the center of the Dragon Hold, that three of the dragons landed. The riders helped their passengers onto the ground.

Maya, who had been carrying Octavia hastily said her goodbyes and took off on her dragon away from the hold toward the great valley below. This left Raven, and Lexa alone with Clarke, Octavia, and Madi. Octavia had been quiet and remained so. She was dressed in rider’s clothes that Clarke guessed must be Maya’s, but she was filthy, her hair matted, and her face dirt streaked. Clarke vaguely recalled meeting the Blake siblings at one party or another as a child, but other than names and faces she knew very little about them.

The group followed the dragon riders into the warmly lit alcove. The tunnels inside were massive, big enough for the dragons to fit into comfortably. Once inside, Hedath flew to the center of the great cavern, and to the grassy feeding grounds where several cattle and gazelle were grazing. Clarke herded Madi away from that particular sight.

Inside, people walked about busily, some with dragons that towered above them, some with dragons that curled up on their shoulders. One bald man in particular seemed particularly harried, seated at a round table in a room leading off from the tunnels with a large group of children. “Do  _ not _ go anywhere near the hatching grounds without your dragon rider, a dragon mother is extremely protective of her young until they have bonded with a rider. You could end up seriously injured” Clarke heard him say as they passed.

Lexa leaned down to Madi to point him out “That is Titus, he will be tutoring you while I am on official duty. The rest of your time will be spent with me or learning trades within the hold.” Madi seemed to barely contain her unbridled joy at this.

A young man approached the group stopping just as he reached Lexa. “The others have returned?” she asked

“Yes Commander”

“And the candidates?”

The man paused “We have them from all but... Skiakru. Jorenth tells me there were complications…”

Lexa sighed wearily “Believe it or not, Monty that doesn’t surprise me considering what I have seen today. Tell me anyway.” she glanced back “discreetly” Neither dragon rider said a word for a few minutes, but the Commander’s eyes widened, and she locked eyes with Monty looking unsettled. Slowly she said “I see... Thank you, Monty. Madi, come with me I will show you to your quarters and you can get some sleep while I attend a... meeting. I expect you’re exhausted.” Madi looked up at Clarke (who nodded and tried to look encouraging) before taking hold of Lexa’s hand. The Commander looked startled but didn’t pull back. “As for the two of you,” she turned to Clarke and Octavia, “I will see you during the hatching. Good Luck. Raven, show them to the bathing rooms and their quarters, and make sure Clarke sees a healer for her back.” and with that she nodded to them and strode off, Madi in tow. Before fully turning though, her green eyes locked with Clarke’s and flickered with an unnamed  _ something _ . Clarke tried to understand exactly who this woman was and found herself frustrated by her lack of knowledge.

Octavia finally spoke up “Ok, what did I miss. You all can communicate through thought? Osmosis?”

Raven looked incredulous “Wow they really don’t teach you all anything about dragonlore in the clans anymore do they? We can communicate with our  _ dragons  _ through thought, and since dragons communicate with each other that way we can communicate to other riders through them. Pretty nifty trick, doesn’t work over super long distances though.” she shrugged

“Do we go to the bathing rooms now…” Octavia asked after digesting this, “It’s been a while since I’ve really been clean…” she said longingly

“In a minute, first I want to show you the hatching grounds.” Raven said grinning.

Clarke furrowed her brow “But...didn’t that man...Titus say that was dangerous?”

The Dragon rider brushed off her concerns with a wave, “If you’re with me and you stay near Farenth you should be fine”

Octavia and Clarke exchanged a skeptical glance but walked with Raven and Farenth to an opening at the side of the tunnel that opened onto another ledge. The three women mounted the dragon and took off to the Eastern side of the Hold. They came upon a clearing ringed by the same cavernous structures, only instead of grass there was red sand. At the center there was a dragon as big as Farenth himself sitting amidst a cluster of twenty eggs, some the size of a human one year old, some even larger than that. The eggs were all different colors, some had a particularly odd shimmer to their shells, others a sheen that made them look wet in the light. One green egg in particular gave off a shine that looked gold from different angles. The mother dragon was a deep jeweled cobalt blue shining as brightly in the lamp glow as Hedath did. They landed a good distance from her and slipped off Farenth’s back. The black dragon stayed still at the edge of the sand humming deeply.

“Stay here.” Raven said as she hurriedly dismounted. She walked as fast as she could toward the center where the massive dragon lay sleeping. Whatever Clarke expected to happen when Raven put a hand on the snout of the sapphire dragon was nothing like what actually happened. The dragon lifted her great head and nuzzled herself against Raven’s side nearly knocking her over then calmly went back to sleep head pressed against the rider’s good leg. As Raven cooed over the beast a young woman with high cheekbones and wavy blonde hair came to lean on a pillar near the two. Clarke could just barely hear their words across the grounds.

“Four days is a long time” the woman said smirking”

Raven turned quickly lighting up “ _ Too _ long, Anya.” she left the dragon to pull the woman into a deep kiss. Clarke’s eyebrows shot up and Octavia gasped. In the clans, relationships...like that... were condemned. She had heard rumors of dragon riders choosing partners regardless of sex but wasn’t sure of the truth of them until now.

Anya finally broke the kiss, stroking Ravens cheek. She turned to glance at Farenth and gripped Raven’s hand tight. “You brought candidates to the hatching grounds? Raven! She could have gotten violent! The hatching is only...”

Rave scoffed rolling her eyes, “Please, I told them to stay with Farenth. She would risk scorching her mate.”

“Still they need to be taken to their quarters”

“I needed to see you first.”

“You can see me later  _ tonight _ now  _ go _ ” she shoved Raven back toward the girls.

“Ugh, are you sure this mating thing lasts for life?” Raven quipped. The mother dragon lifted her sapphire head at that and nudged Raven in protest

Anya smirked “Laureth seems to think so.”

“Well, come meet them at least before we go. This may be your last chance before the eggs hatch” Raven said tugging Anya forward to Clarke and Octavia.

Anya grew a bit tense and clasped her hands behind her back in a gesture that was vaguely familiar. She begrudgingly addressed the two as Farenth tried to get her attention. “Congratulations on your being searched, this is an important clutch. One of you could be our new queen rider. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” and with that she patted Farenth on his nose affectionately and strode back toward her dozing dragon. It was then that Clarke noticed, tucked beneath the mother’s big wing, a gleaming golden egg as big as her torso.

Raven started to lead them down a new tunnel at the edge of the sands. Clarke vaguely wondered how anyone found anything in this labyrinth “Excuse her. Her heart’s not as icy as the rest of her I promise,” Raven said winking “She’s also a little stressed about the hatching. We haven’t had a queen egg in twenty-five years.” she added “it’s a big deal”

“Wait, I’m confused, I thought the commander was your leader…” Octavia’s voice lilted up at the end

Raven’s brow furrowed as she tried to explain “Well... she is... kind of. She and the queen have a similar rank but different duties. The commander answers to the queen, but because she’s our silver rider, she and Hedath command the rest of the dragons in the hold, even other dragons of rank.”

“Why?”

Raven shrugged “That’s just basic dragon law. We don’t make them, the dragons do. It’s like how when a dragon of rank is close to death another egg of that rank will appear in the next clutch. It’s just how it is”

“How long do they live? Dragons, I mean.” Clarke asked

“Depends, Queens and their riders live for about 200 years. All dragons of rank do”

Clarke’s eyes widened “200 years? How can a human…”

Raven raised a hand interrupting her shocked question “One of the perks of being a dragon rider. Extended lifespan, you live as long as your dragon does and vice versa. Part of the whole sharing a soul thing I guess.” she waved a dismissive hand as if she hadn’t just admitted that dragon riders have double the average human lifespan and share a soul with their dragons. “It helps with lots of things; communicating, delayed aging, mating...”

“Soul sharing...” Octavia breathed.

Clarke however was more concerned with the last part and what that might entail “Mating?!”

Raven backtracked quickly realizing she’d shared a bit more than the girls we able to handle “But  _ mating _ is a story for another day. Probably best to see if you bond and  _ then _ go over  _ that one _ .”

“Dragons of rank, what does that mean?” Clarke pressed, sensing the need for a subject change.

Raven sighed “Look this is a lot of information that you’ll get very soon but we don’t have time for all of that right now….”

“Wait... delayed aging how old are you?” Octavia asked ignoring her.

“I’m only 23 but Anya’s approaching 50 and she doesn’t look a day over gorgeous.” she winked, and then seeing the shocked look on their faces said rather defensively, “age means something very different for dragons and their riders….”

Clarke did some quick mental math “Wait then if your queen has only been reigning for twenty-five years… and queen eggs only appear in a clutch when a queen is close to death”

“No our  _ queen _ has been reigning for 175 years so she’s got some time to train the next queen. The last queen _ egg _ was hatched 25 years ago…. And well...That dragon… four years ago…she... it’s not really my story to tell, but it’s really important that this queen bonds well…”  Raven trailed off looking serious. “Anyway, here’s the medical wing!” she said brightly, guiding Clarke and Octavia inside. In the well-lit room an older man stood over pots of salve with a piece of parchment “Nyko, we have a candidate in need of some patching up”

The man turned to appraise the two girls “Ah I see, what is it that needs “patching” today, ladies?”

Clarke turned at Raven’s prodding “...my back”

Nyko examined the now exposed skin peeling back the hasty bandage “Oh dear, a whip if I’m not mistaken…

“Yes, sir” Clarke winced at his prodding

“Well, those stitches should be alright, but I will give you some numbing salve for the pain and re-bandage it. Come see me in the morning so I can make sure it’s not going to get infected” Nyko instructed as he worked

“Thank you” Clarke said grateful for the numbness spreading across the wound.

Raven led them down further into the tunnels until they heard the sound of running water. “Aaaaaand this is where I leave you. Bathing rooms are this way and straight through those are the candidate rooms. You should be able to find everything alright. But if not, Molly, the keeper of the candidates, is in the next room over. Bye!” and with that she disappeared into yet  _ another _ tunnel.

The room they entered was curious made entirely of polished stone with a warm natural spring at the center that seemed to swirl rapidly, replacing dirty water with fresh water every few seconds. Drying cloths were folded neatly on a bench at the edge and there was a table filled with a variety of soaps and oils for bathing. Clarke and Octavia both washed quickly so eager to get clean they really didn’t consider their nudity. They were too caught up in their own thoughts to really talk much, Clarke trying hard not to wet her stitches. Soaping herself up, she realized she had far more dirt on her than she'd realized and far more small cuts as well. Octavia was also grimy and looked like a whole different person when they were both finished, with long sleek brown hair and pretty features. Clarke hadn’t had a proper bath since before she was taken from her home, so she luxuriated in the calming warm waters.

As they got out of the bathing pool, they suddenly realized they had nothing to change into. “So, I guess we just go through there and hope they have something for us to sleep in?” Octavia suggested gesturing toward a doorway at the back of the room. Clarke grabbed the clothes Lexa had lent her and followed. They slipped inside shivering as the water cooled on their skin and after traveling down a twisting hallway came to what looked like a long bedroom. It was dimly lit and there were two rows of beds along the wall. Some of the beds were filled with sleeping girls around their age. Two of the beds closest to the door were empty and on them lay undergarments and thin white gowns. They dressed hurriedly slipping into bed.

“Octavia?” Clarke whispered after a few moments.

She thought Octavia might have fallen asleep before she heard “Yes, Clarke?”

“Do you know what’s happening at home? To Skaikru?”

The other girl sighed “All I know is I was taken from my family, and my best chance of finding my way back is here. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’ll be damned if I waste this opportunity to have the power to stop it.”

“I agree.” Clarke whispered “I want to fight back, and this is our best shot”

Octavia gave her a small smile “Then it’s settled... We’ll fight back... Goodnight, Clarke.”

“Goodnight…”

Octavia turned over leaving Clarke alone with her thoughts. So much had happened in such a short span of time. She had been ripped from her home. She had no idea what had happened to her family. She had almost been sold, and now she was neck deep in a world she barely understood. Even with someone vaguely familiar beside her she felt so  _ so  _ alone. To her own horror she felt hot tears slip down her cheeks to soak her pillow. She fell asleep soon after and dreamed of dragonflight and flashing green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so first of all, thank you thank you thank you to all of you who have left comments and kudos, they mean so much to me. Second of all, for those of you familiar with the Dragonriders of Pern series and how it handles dragons mating (and how that affects their riders), be prepared that while I am going to address it later on, it will be a whole lot less...rapey. I'm already taking a ton of liberties on the rules of this universe so might as well go all in.  
> Toodles!


	6. The Hatching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All!  
> TW- little bit of blood in this one but not a ton

The ringing of a bell woke Clarke far sooner than she would have liked, and she rolled over groaning. Octavia sat up disgruntled in the bed to her right. She had to stop and figure out where she was for a moment. It came to her quickly. Azgeda, The Dragon Hold, Lexa…

“We rise at dawn here, clan girls.” a teasing voice to her left broke through Clarke’s momentary panic, and she saw two girls sitting on the bed next to hers intricately braiding one another’s hair in the style she had seen most of the dragon riders wear. Clarke realized these must be Hold-bred girls; candidates who had grown up in Ophidia and came to the hold as children, women trained to be dragon riders.

An older redhead emerged from the back of the long room, making her way down the beds dressed in dragon wear, clapping her hands to hurry them along “Get dressed, candidates. There should be clothing in the trunk at the end of your bed. Then, head to the bathing room to wash for breakfast. We will be dining in the eastern hall to remain close to the hatching grounds” She left in a flurry of leather and braids to get to the hall.

Clarke and Octavia did as she said, opening their trunks at the end of their beds. Inside were soft white gowns with leather belts. The fabric was thin and willowy.

“Candidate robes,” The voice to her left informed her helpfully “They’re ceremonial. The hatching could happen any day now, so they want us to be ready.” She smiled “I’m Harper, and this is Ontari.” she said nodding to the girl whose hair she was doing up in intricate braids. The dark-haired girl barely glanced at them. She merely got up when Harper had finished her hair and headed toward the bathing rooms.

“Clarke.” she said with a nod to them slipping on the robes and belt “and this is Octavia.”

“Sorry about Ontari, she’s not a fan of clan-bred girls” Harper shrugged, “At least you’re not crying like the other ones though”

“Crying?”

Harper rolled her eyes “They’re convinced they’re going to be eaten by a dragon.” she scoffed, “as if a little dragonet would eat a human, they’re not big enough”. Sure enough, there was a group of girls around Clarke’s age at the far end of the rooms huddled together as they slipped on their robes, blubbering to each other about the horrors of both dragons and their riders. In a way, Clarke sympathized. The dragons were terrifying. Huge, with fierce teeth and claws, and the riders with their braids, and tattoos, and warpaint weren’t much better. So, if you had never seen one before, as many of them had not, the sight was enough to send you reeling. Clarke’s father, however, had always been fascinated by the dragon riders. He had seen a dragon only once, but regaled Clarke with the tale every night before bed. It had been her favorite story as a child. Glittering green wings and shining scales frequented her dreams.

Soon they were ready, and all of the candidates were being led to the eastern hall, the male candidates joined them at a long table filled with steaming platters of food. Windows had been hollowed out of the walls of the grand hall to let the morning light stream in. At the front of the hall a long table stood empty. Clarke’s stomach churned ravenously as she realized she hadn’t had a proper meal in days. Some of the girl snickered as she and Octavia tore into the food in front of them, but she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn. About fifty candidates in total started eating and chattering at once. Eventually, the dragon riders began to file into the hall all dressed in that same rough metal and leather style, built for fighting and riding. For a moment, Clarke was self-conscious about her own softness. She and the other clan-bred girls stood out with their clean pale skin, and their hair falling long down their backs. She felt somehow more vulnerable than the hold-bred candidates even though they were wearing exactly the same thing.

“Bellamy!” Her thoughts were interrupted by Octavia leaping up and rushing to a dark-haired rider who had entered the hall.

“Octavia! What are you doing here? How are you here? Where are mother and father?” Bellamy seemed delighted, gripping his little sister’s shoulders

“I don’t know... Bell I…”

“Wait” the smile fell from his face as he took in her dress, “are you a candidate?”

“Yes?” Octavia seemed perplexed by his sudden change of mood

“You can’t...you...You’re just a kid”

Octavia bristled at that, “I’m eighteen, Bell. I’m not a kid anymore.”

Bellamy grabbed a dragon rider passing him, presumably the one who searched Skaikru, “You searched my sister!?”

“No, I did” Raven spoke up from where she had entered the hall “I found her in Azgeda lands” Raven took a sea at another table waving blithely to Clarke as Bellamy proceeded to grow red in the face.

“Azgeda!?” Bellamy released the poor dragon rider and whipped back around toward his sister “Octavia, what were you doing there? Of all the…”

“Knock it off Bellamy, I’ll talk to you about it later.”

“No, you’re going home” he said definitively.

“There’s no  _ home _ to go back to, Bell!” Octavia finally burst out. The hall that had been buzzing before quieted, Octavia sighed and grabbed his arm saying quietly, “we have some things to talk about.” The siblings left the hall, and the buzz of conversation gradually returned to normal.

“Why is Bellamy so upset that Octavia is a candidate?” Clarke eventually asked Harper, seated across from her.

“Well it is rather dangerous…” she began

Ontari scoffed from beside her “He’s just mad because if she bonds with the queen, he loses his shot at being head Bronze rider.”

“Wait why?” Clarke asked

Ontari sneered “Don’t you know  _ anything _ about dragons?”

“Queens will only mate with bronze dragons. The mate she chooses becomes leader of the Bronze riders, they’re the queen’s guard” Harper quickly explained

“Wait... so she doesn’t get a say?”

“What?”

“The Queen. She has to mate with a Bronze rider?” Clarke asked her stomach turning

“She doesn’t  _ have _ to do anything but yes, Queen’s mate with Bronze dragons.” Harper answered, “It’s an honor to be chosen by the queen, dragons mate for life so the Bronze rider holds the title for as long as she lives.”

“So, if Octavia bonds, his dragon will never find a mate?”

Ontari answered this time rolling her eyes “Don’t be so dramatic, a bronze dragon can mate with any dragon of rank. It’s only the title he’s after. That’s why he’s upset.”

“I still don’t get it, why does it matter if their dragon’s mate or not…

“Dragon riders mate if their dragons do, and I don’t know how things work in the clans but incest isn’t tolerated in the hold… How do you not know this?” Ontari seemed curious now

“We aren’t taught these things in the clans. When would I have...”

“Obviously” Ontari tsked and went back to her breakfast

The more Clarke heard about mating the more she disliked it. She had already had so many choices taken from her. She didn’t want a choice about a _ life partner _ made for her by… by some _ animal _ …

She looked around the hall to distract herself. The table at the front had been filled and green eyes stared out at her surrounded by black paint with a silver gear between them. She found herself caught in them until the commander leaned over to whisper something to a raven-haired older woman. The woman turned her bright blue eyes onto Clarke and smiled. Her face was lined, and her dark hair was grey streaked but she was still beautiful. There was a gold gear placed on her brow where Lexa’s silver one was.  _ So that must be their queen rider. _

“Look I’ll have pity on you, these are some dragon rank basics. It will only matter if you bond but here you go. Dragons have ranks and rules just like humans” Harper had pulled out a leather-bound book and had turned it to a page filled with pictures and descriptions.

_ Dragons of Rank _

_**Gold Dragon** \- Status: Queen above all dragons. _

_ Mate: Any Bronze Dragon (Note: Queen’s rarely produce a clutch as it impedes her ability to lead the hold) _

_ Life Expectancy: 200 years _

_ Sex: female _

_ Notes: A queen matures more slowly than other dragons and learns from the current reigning queen during this time. Any female Dragon of rank may produce a queen egg. There is only one reigning Queen at a time and one junior queen. _

_**Silver Dragon** \- Status: Commander of all Dragons, answers only to the Queen _

_ Mate: Any Female Dragon of Rank (except the queen) (Note: Silver dragons rarely, if ever, rise to mate) _

_ Life Expectancy: 200 years _

_ Sex: Male _

_ Notes: A silver dragon takes about one year to fully mature. There is only One silver dragon at a time in the hold. It is thought that this dragon and his rider reincarnates. This is the largest and strongest dragon of highest rank other than the queen. _

_**Sapphire and Emerald Dragons** \- Status: females’ fighters dragons second in rank to commander _

_ Mate: Any Male Dragon of Rank (can produce a queen egg and eggs of other dragon’s of rank) _

_ Life Expectancy: 200 years _

_ Sex: Female _

_ Notes: These dragon’s take one year to fully mature. They are high ranking and highly respected dragons. These are fighting dragons, and as such are the fastest and most agile. They are slightly smaller than Gold, Silver, and Bronze dragons. These dragons produce clutches for the hold. They are not to be confused with blue and green dragons. Emerald and Sapphire dragons have a shine to their scales that sets them apart. There are usually 6 of these dragons in the hold at a time. _

_**Bronze dragons** – Status: Guards of the Queen _

_ Mate: Any dragon of Rank including the Queen. (The bronze that mates the Queen becomes head bronze dragon) _

_ Life Expectancy: 200 years _

_ Sex: Male _

_ Notes: These dragons take two years to fully mature. Highly protective of the Queen dragon regardless of who mates her. There are 5 Bronze dragons at a time. They are never far from their queen _

_**Red and Black Dragons** \- Status: The right hand to a dragon of higher rank _

_ Mate: Any dragon of Rank _

_ Life Expectancy: 200 years _

_ Sex: Male or Female _

_ Notes: These dragon’s take one year to fully mature. The same size as Sapphire and Emerald dragons. There are usually 8 of these in the hold at a time.  _

_ All other dragons are known as common dragons. They fulfil different purposes in the hold and vary in size and color. They may rise to mate but cannot produce a dragon of rank in their clutch. Their life expectancy is 150 years. _

“I think there’s an Emerald and two Reds in this clutch.” Ontari said between bites, “I’m hoping for a dragon of rank personally, but the others will do as well I suppose.”

“So, there are other types of dragons I could bond with?” Clarke asked

Ontari raised an eyebrow “Not likely, the only reason they bring you girls in is because the queen has to come from a land other than Ophidia. Most of you will go right back where you came from.”

Harper tried once again to smooth over her friend’s acidic response “There are three types of Candidates, those that are born here in Ophidia, those that are taken in as seconds when they’re young, and those that are searched from the other clans specifically for clutches like this one.  _ Big clutches _ . Usually a dragon will have five eggs with maybe one dragon of rank among them. This clutch is twenty eggs with  _ four _ dragons of rank including the queen. They want the queen dragonet to have as many possibilities to choose from, because if a dragon doesn’t bond… they die. And the queen rider has never been a native to Ophidia.”

“Why?”

Harper shrugged “That’s dragon law, but I think it’s to give us incentive to protect the clans”

“I say let them rot” Ontari said darkly

Clarke had had enough and let her fork fall to her plate with a clatter “What exactly have you got against the clans?”

Ontari’s eyes flashed “They’re barbarians”

“Funny, I always heard the same thing about _ hold-bred girls _ ” Clarke retorted standing.

Ontari stood to match her defensive posture. She opened her mouth no doubt to say something nasty, but all that could be heard was the loud clanging of bells and the loud keening of dragons.

“It’s time.” Harper breathed going white as a sheet.

Raven was up in a flash sprinting, as fast as she could with her leg, out of the hall.

The older redhead that woke them that morning was out of her seat as well “The hatching its starting. Candidates, form two lines.”

Octavia came running in “What did I miss?”

Clarke tried not to shake as she stood “It’s starting.” she didn’t miss Octavia’s eyes go wide.

Clarke began to follow the other candidates out of the hall but felt a strong grip on her wrist. She was met with those damn eyes again. She briefly wondered what punishment comes with asking the commander to wear a blindfold from now on to save Clarke from the strange feeling she got every time their eyes locked. Lexa shook her wrist to get her attention “I will tell you only what I was told before I stood on the sands. Show no fear, and if they are not yours move out of the way.”

“What?”

“Good luck, Clarke”

“But what does that even mean?” she managed to get out before she was herded out of the hall.

They were led to the hatching grounds. Now that it was daylight Clarke could see that the grounds were more like a pit with walls like an arena surrounding it. Dragons perched on the walls looking down at them, their keening getting louder and louder. Clarke resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears. In the stands of the pit, the riders sat anxiously waiting for the birth of the new dragons. Clarke could see Lexa and the queen seated together at the front. She could barely feel the chill of the day with how hot the sands had become. Everything about the moment seemed to be rising to a fever pitch. She tried to remember Lexa’s words and blocked out her fear.

Laureth stood dominating and agitated over her eggs hissing at all that came near. She nearly snapped at Clarke who was closest to the angry mother. Anya stepped in between them in time with a tense look on her face.

“She has to convince the mother to leave the grounds while the babies hatch,” Harper whispered to Clarke, “It’s one of the hardest jobs the rider of a female will ever do.”

Eventually though, Anya won the battle of wills with her dragon and together they flew off the hatching grounds to perch with the other dragons on the wall. Anya staying with Laureth, murmuring to her, and stroking her soft neck.

The Dragons above them gradually turned their kenning into a deep hum that resonated throughout the pit calling to the dragonets. A strong vibration across the sands seems to vibrate into Clarke's bones and across her sternum resulting in a strange tugging within her. Clarke was no longer nervous. She was impatient, waiting for something, searching for something that hovered just at the edge of her consciousness. She wanted something. She was also hungry. Wait no... Clarke had just eaten she couldn't be that hungry.

She was so distracted by her longing that she barely noticed the cracking sounds coming from the twenty eggs. The hold-bred candidates seemed to spread out, so Clarke followed suit watching Octavia do the same. The other clan girls were huddled toward the back some were terrified, weeping.

Ontari moved to stand in front of Octavia and Clarke “The queen will hatch last; the first dragonets will bond with the hold-bred.” she hissed as she and Harper made their way to the front. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the eggs rocked.

A loud cheer went up as the first egg cracked wide open revealing a snow-white dragon the size of a large dog. Its wet wings flailed as it clumsily made its way out of it shell frantically searching.  _ Searching for its rider _ Clarke realized. It hissed as one boy candidate approached it and downright mauled another that stood in its way. Ontari stepped as far away from the common dragon as possible. Clarke followed her lead as the dragon looked. Finally, its bright gold eyes landed on Harper. It shot toward her, but to Clarke’s shock she didn’t run, she merely opened her arms to embrace the little creature still dripping with fluid from its egg. Harper’s face streaked with tears as she stroked the soft hide of her dragon, mumbling softly to it as it crooned.

It went that way for a while, dragons pairing off with candidate after candidate. Some candidates that were foolish enough to step in front of a dragonet who had already bonded were cut down and tossed aside. Meanwhile, Clarke was growing restless. The tug was growing stronger and more insistent, but the queen showed no sign of hatching yet. There was a force that was trying to propel her forward. It was sharp and almost painful when it tugged at her that time. She gasped for breath trying to see past Ontari in front of her for the source

The green egg with the golden sheen had cracked wide open, and the glittering emerald dragonet was tripping over her own wings in their direction. She practically screeched at Ontari but instead of bonding with her like Clarke expected, the little creature tossed Ontari to the side with more force than a creature of that size should have. Ontari hit the ground bleeding but before Clarke could ask if she was alright, the dragonet was climbing up her body to wrap itself around her torso. The little fledgling’s claws were sharp, but Clarke didn’t notice because peering into her eyes was the most _ beautiful  _ creature on Earth. She was engulfed in warmth and excitement, love and loyalty. A voice infiltrated her own thoughts warm and high. _ My Clarke! My Clarke! How beautiful you are, how brave how special how strong! I have found you. It was tight and dark but then there was so much light, and I needed you so badly. But you are here with me now my Clarke. You are mine and I am yours. Your Willeth has found you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos! I really love how this story is coming along and I've been having a lot of fun seeing your guesses about the hatching. Lots of love!  
> Toodles!


	7. The Initiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so it's been a hot second since I posted. Sorry guys I had a lot going on but now that finals are over we should be back to quicker updates  
> No trigger warnings for this chapter, happy reading!

Clarke was so enamored with the precious being in her arms that she barely registered the sounds of other dragons bonding with their riders. She was too preoccupied with the new little voice in her mind. For the first time in over a week, Clarke didn’t feel the crippling sense of loneliness. She didn’t feel as though all was hopeless. She had a companion now, a purpose, a future. Clarke had never really considered a future outside the one her parents had planned for her. They had arranged her betrothal to a man she had never met when she was small. She had always assumed she would live in his house and bear his children. Not to say she was particularly fond of the idea, but it certainly wasn’t a fate worse than death. Now though, now she could not imagine a life without the presence of her dragon. Her Willeth. _I agree…. I am also hungry._ Willeth clenched on a bit tighter to Clarke, shiny wings fluttering to adjust her balance. Clarke was slightly shocked when a hunger that was not her own invaded her stomach. Apparently, the bond reached far further than the mind. _We’ll get you something to eat hold on…. let me_ ….

Clarke directed her attention to the other candidates and their dragons, searching for someone to ask for...meat...fish...? What did baby dragons eat? Excitement lit up her mind _Ooh meat please_. Clarke chuckled and looked about. The other dragonets had all paired off, and the fully-grown dragons were flying down to the sands to take away the boys and girls who had not been claimed, Ontari among them. Only one egg was left on the sands, The Queen.

The hold bred girls now crept closer to the glittering egg as it trembled. They circled it. Some, still scarred by the carnage of the initial hatching, stood far toward the back. Clarke could just make out Octavia as she was jostled forward. The hum of the dragons quieted then suddenly rose in pitch as the golden dragonet burst from its shell. The little queen didn’t even hesitate before striding regally up to Octavia, butting her head against her leg. Octavia’s eyes flooded with tears, and she sank to her knees to embrace the new monarch. A roaring cheer went up from the stands, the hatching now completed.

            The Queen rider, seated next to the commander, rose and put up both hands in a gesture of silence. The crowd immediately gave her their attention. “The hatching has been a great success. Congratulations to the new riders and to our newest queen.” she paused smiling as cheers rose up again “The new riders will now go to their hatchling ceremonies and will join us afterwards for the feast. A celebration of the triumph of Laureth’s clutch. Come!” at that more dragons swooped down to pick up the clan bred girls, and riders without dragons emerged to gather the newly bonded pairs into a tunnel under the stands.

            The tunnel was dim, lit only with torches, and as they were led further all were silent. Eventually, they emerged into circular room with a large fire pit at the center. A podium stood toward the front next to a dark fur covered throne and an old woman running a metal pestle around the rim of a metal bowl to make a haunting tone. Beside her sat a small girl with two big basins of sweet-smelling water, a dagger, some twine, a basket of metallic beads and pins, and various bottles and pots of dye and paint. On the edge of the pit was a cot, a hulking man sitting beside it fiddling with tools and small containers of what looked like ink on his lap. Surrounding the edge of the room were servants carrying basins filled to the brim with hunks of meat. Willeth scrambled higher on her to get a good view of the food when a voice snapped, “Control your dragons. One of your first priorities now is their care and keeping. This includes _decorum_. Lunging for food is not becoming of an _emerald dragon_.” The bald man from yesterday was looking at them with a sense of disdain about him. Titus, Clarke vaguely recalled “We will begin teaching you about how to feed your dragons soon, but first we will begin your initiation.” he said stiffly. As the new riders and their dragons lined the walls the tension in the room heightened when the commander herself entered and seated herself on the throne.

            Clarke bristled as Titus sniffed walking past them. Willeth curled around her tighter _but… I’m hungry…_ She rushed to soothe the little whimpers that escaped Willeth, scratching behind the ridges of her wings. Titus bowed to the Commander as he passed, and she nodded to him in return.

            Titus stood at a podium beside the bowl player and the commander “We will begin the marking process in order of rank. First, Octavia, rider of our new Queen.” Octavia stepped forward, her large gold dragonet stumbling as she tried to wrap herself around Octavia’s legs. Titus continued “Lincoln, rider of Bronze Zeranth, will have the honor of marking our new riders.”

            That’s when Clarke noticed what Lincoln was holding. A needle attached to a long reed. A tattooing needle. Clarke felt the blood rush to her face. Girls in the clans were never tattooed. Of course, she had seen that the other dragon riders were tattooed quite heavily but she always thought it was a matter of choice, not because it was part of some ritual or anything. Now that the prospect of being tattooed was in front of her she couldn’t help but feel slightly dirty about doing something so forbidden in the culture she grew up in.

            “Disrobe” Titus’ voice boomed out into the room echoing off the walls. Slowly Octavia began to take off the white robe she had been given before the hatching until she stood stark naked, her dragon snarling in defense of Octavia’s silent distress. “Octavia of clan Skaikru. You are Skaikru no more. Your duty is to your dragon and to your hold. Do you swear to care for the better part of your soul, your dragon, and watch over Ophidia as our queen when it is your time? Do you swear to live by the laws of the hold and by the truths your dragon shows you? Do you swear fealty to the law of the dragon riders and furthermore, to the Dragonian Law? Do you reject your past life and burn the remnants of your attachment to it?” Titus intoned

            “I do” Octavia said tilting up her chin. She tossed the white robe soiled with the blood and muck of dragon hatching into the fire pit.

            “Then prepare to receive the mark and braids of your rank. The spirits and your dragon will guide our craftsmen to design your mark, your braids, and the war paint of your status” Titus gestured over to where Lincoln sat waiting. Octavia to her credit didn’t hesitate to lay on the cot face down as Lincoln instructed. A servant girl ran to place a basin of meat in front of the queen dragon to distract her from Octavia’s pain as the tattooing process began. It took a while and the tattoo spanned her whole back and most of her shoulders an intricate maze of lines and words that spoke to an instinct in Willeth (and now Clarke) that said _Queen, important_. When Lincoln was done Octavia rose shakily and was guided over to the woman with the water basin. The woman took a clean cloth and whispered something to Octavia who took the cloth and dipped it into the basin. She began cleaning her dragon in circular motions removing the last remnants of membrane and blood from her scales. Titus began again in that same monotone voice “May this be a sign of our fealty to our dragons. We treat their needs as our own and put their comfort before ours.” As Octavia finished the small girl took a clean rag from the other basin and began wiping down Octavia’s body in much the same way. When she finished, she sat Octavia down in front of her and began a complicated series of brains in the girls long silky locks pining in a shiny metal bead every so often until a beautiful crown of braids glittered in the firelight. The girl then dipped a brush into a pot of black paint and began a version of the traditional warpaint Clarke had seen on other riders. When she was finished, Octavia stood bold... and not the same girl who came to the hold only a day earlier. “With these braids and this paint, we distinguish ourselves from the clans as protectors, warriors, those whose soul is entwined with our dragon.” Titus continued as Octavia was appraised by the others “Our Queen.” Titus boomed. And with that Octavia and her dragonet were led from the room by another servant girl. Clarke wondered what her own transformation would look like.

            She didn’t have to wonder long “Disrobe, Clarke of clan Skaikru.” Titus said sharply. She stepped forward, suddenly incredibly self-conscious of the men and women surrounding her, so _so_ aware of green eyes burning into her flesh. Willeth reluctantly crawled off of her down to the floor to twine around her feet. _I am here, they cannot hurt you. I am here, I will not let them._ Despite the eyes on her, Willeth soothed her and she managed to take of the bloodied soiled robe wincing as it pulled at her back. She hadn’t noticed but carrying Willeth had put a strain on her stitches. _You are hurt?! How? why? Where was I when you needed my protection?_ Willeth asked frantically. Clarke tried to hide it, but the flashes of the Traders and the platform crossed her mind unbidden. Willeth snarled. A monstrous sound from such a small creature. “Clarke of the Skaikru you will learn how to control your dragon.” Titus said harshly. “Now,” he sighed “Clarke of clan Skaikru. You are Skaikru no more. Your duty is to your dragon and to your hold. Do you swear to care for the better part of your soul your dragon and watch over Ophidia and fight for it and the clans? Do you swear to live by the laws of the hold and by the truths your dragon shows you? Do you swear fealty to the law of the dragon riders and furthermore to the Dragonian Law? Do you reject your past life and burn the remnants of your attachment to it?”

            Clarke looked down at the fantastic creature at her feet and didn’t hesitate to hurl her former life into the pit “I do”

            “Do you as a warrior swear fealty to Commander Lexa, formerly of the Trigedakru? Do you swear to obey her and treat her word as law?”

            Clarke hesitated, but managed to look the commander in the eyes to say, “I do.”

            “Then prepare to receive the mark and braids of your rank.” Clarke took a deep breath and made her was over to Lincoln. He grabbed her right arm with little hesitation and began the tattoo at the place where her neck met her shoulder. After the firsts pierce of the needle the pain dulled into a distant burn. Clarke was more preoccupied with Willeth, who had finally been given something to eat and was ravenously chowing down on the hunks of meat in her bowl. _Not so fast you’ll choke,_ Clarke admonished her. She received the dragon equivalent of an eye-roll in return. Clarke tried not to focus on the pain, but it was difficult, the only thing that distracted her was a contented sigh from the mind of her dragon _Warm… this one...yes this one is ours._ Wait... _Who.._.Clarke whipped her head up, horrified to see little Willeth sitting primly in the lap of _the commander_ who looked like she was trying very hard not to smile. Murmurs broke out around the room.

            “Emerald rider…your dragon! You must… a newly hatched dragon getting blood on the _commander of the hold_ this is outrage-!” Titus stammered going bright red

            “It’s fine Titus.” Lexa said quietly, resting a hand on the back of the little dragon. Willeth purred loudly at the contact and Clarke flushed. Not only was she literally exposed, but a _piece of her soul_ was currently curled up in the commander’s lap _purring._

 Lincoln eventually finished her tattoo after about an hour, and as she stood, shocked whispers broke out amongst the riders again. When Clarke turned toward Titus and the commander to collect Willeth, Lexa let out a strangled sound. “Lincoln what is the meaning of this?”

“I don’t design the tattoos, Commander. You know this. The Spirits choose. The dragons know.” Lincoln said gravely

Titus cleared his throat “Enough. Let us continue.”

Willeth climbed down from the commander’s lap and back over to Clarke. A servant cleared away Willeth’s food bowl and guided Clark to the small girl with the basins. She was handed a fresh cloth and didn’t need to be told twice what to do with it. She dipped the cloth into the warm water and thoroughly washed every inch of Willeth’s body until she shone brightly under the torch light. As the bowl player’s melody sang, she looked into the eyes of her own soul and was breathless for a minute before Willeth butted her head against her softly. When Clarke was done, she stood. Titus spoke “May this be a sign of our fealty to our dragons. We treat their needs as our own and put their comfort before ours.” Clarke allowed the girl to bathe her as well kneeling when she was told. The girl began to intricately braid the top sections of clarkes hair back from her face interweaving beads and twine to hold it in place. Then with her fingers, dipped the ends of Clarkes hair into a pot of some sort of dye and then into a pot of hot water, drying it with a towel. Turning Clarke around she began painting around her eyes. “With these braids and this paint, we distinguish ourselves from the clans as protectors, warriors, those whose soul is entwined with our dragon.” Titus finished. Her ritual was complete. She was a dragon rider.

            As Clarke was led from the warm room into the tunnel beyond, she risked a glance back at green eyes and tried to figure out the emotion in their depths. She shivered as the cold air hit her naked flesh. Willeth crawled back up her body upon noticing her chills. Apparently, dragons were much warmer than humans. It was like holding her own little furnace, she thought fondly. She also appreciated Willeth spreading her bat like wings to shield some of Clarke’s modesty. The servant girl led her into a set of bare quarters, cavernous in size, that looked quite cavelike. A huge nest of blankets and fluffy bedding stood at one side next to an empty metal basin and a small sink like spring stood at the other mimicking the bathing rooms watery swirls, lined with bottles of clear liquid. There was a curtain separating two sections. The servant curtsied quickly and said. “These will be your chambers Dragonrider. Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

“Um…clothes?” Clarke asked hopefully.

“In the dresser in your room m’lady”

“My room?”

The girl furrowed her eyebrows “Of course, these are your dragon’s rooms. Yours are through there” She gestured toward the blue curtained archway.

She turned to the girl “Thank you.”

The small girl, child really, curtsied again “When you are dressed, I will be waiting outside to take you to the feast.”

Clarke hesitantly made her way through the Archway to find herself in a much smaller bedroom it was by no means tiny, but it was nothing compared to Willeth’s quarters. _What does a tiny dragon need with all that space_ she teased _I will not always be tiny, my Clarke. You’ll see, I will grow._ Willeth sniffed haughtily. Clarke laughed as she made her way into her bedroom. It was lit warmly with hearth and had a dresser, a vanity, an armoire and a desk inside. On the vanity there was a mirror, and pots of paint like what the girl had used to paint her face, and a comb. A full-length mirror stood beside the dresser. There was a bed seemingly carved out of the stone walls with a mattress and many furs on top. Clarke strode closer to inspect it. Willeth leapt from her body to Clarke’s new bed curling up comfortably.

            Clarke rolled her eyes good naturedly at how perfectly the little dragonet had fit herself into Clarke’s life after only a few hours. As Willeth dozed, Clarke hunted for clothes. The dresser held a full wardrobe about her size. What was she supposed to wear to a feast here? In the clans she would be in a gown of silk… But this was not the clans, and she was no longer a clan girl. She wandered to the armoire and found a dress that looked suitable (and wouldn’t pull at her stitches) It was a course stretchy denim material, tight at her hips, with several buckles at her waist to mimic a waist guard. There was no fabric at the shoulders, but she was delighted to find a leather shoulder guard (and several intimidating weapons) in a trunk at the bottom that would support Willeth and protect Clarke from her sharp claws while she carried her. She slipped these on, careful to avoid her back and freshly tattooed shoulder. Clarke finished off with knee high boots that laced up the front. She breathed deeply and walked over to the front of the full-length mirror, eyes downcast. Finally, she pulled up the courage to look at herself. Clarke barely recognized the fierce girl in the mirror. Her hair was in intricate braids decked out with silver gears like the one the commander wore and was dyed a deep green at the ends. Her eyes were darkened up in streaks that looked like feathers with a stripe of light blue beneath each one. And the tattoo...The tattoo was fearsome. It depicted a set of dragons circling her bicep starting where her neck met her shoulders, but between the dragons were orbs and geometric shapes that looked almost like planets. Clarke didn’t feel or look anything like the girl she was the day before. _No, my Clarke, you are better. We have each other now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kudos and comments once again! they really are lovely!


	8. The first night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time folks  
> Happy Reading!

Clarke was led back to the East hall for the feast. It was night by this point, and Clarke vaguely wondered what would have happened if the eggs had hatched any later in the day. The feast was huge with heaps of food and more alcohol than she had ever seen in the clans. Octavia sat up front with the Queen rider. A riotous cheer went up when Clarke was announced to the crowd, and she made her way to where Raven waved frantically. Clarke noticed Lexa wasn’t there yet. She must still be overseeing the initiation of the other riders.

“Hey there, guess you and your emerald decided you were too good for tradition.” Raven joked smiling widely

Clarke thought of the little dragon, sound asleep in her bed, and frowned “What do you mean?”

“She means clan bred girls aren’t usually suited for riding fighting dragons.” said Anya seated stiffly beside her.

Raven slung an arm around her life-mate “Don’t listen to her, she’s just got empty nest syndrome. But you’ve made quite a splash, Emerald rider. Ontari was furious in the medical wing while Nyko was adjusting my brace. Your darling little soul did a number on her.”

Her little soul. An odd way to put it, but Clarke supposed it was true. She wasn’t anywhere near her dragon currently, and yet, she didn’t feel any differently than if Willeth were still clinging to her. She felt warm and safe and content as if she and the dragon were curled up together. She felt a sudden yearning to go back and find her.

“Eat emerald rider, you have a long road ahead of you.” Despite the woman’s apparant disdain for Clarke’s new status, it didn’t stop Anya from piling a plate high with food and shoving under Clarkes nose. Clarke hesitated to eat until Anya said with an eye roll “If you’re hungry, your dragon is hungry” Clarke had no reservations about digging in after that.

The feast lasted for hours with the newly initiated dragon riders trickling in in order of status. Lexa however, never showed. Clarke waved lightly to Harper who strode over beaming with bright white streaks painted just under her eyes and a delicate looking tattoo of thorns trailing up her wrist.

“He’s perfect, Clarke.” She gushed when she reached the table

“I’m happy for you. What’s his name?”

“Serath” Harper sighed “He’s sleeping now, the hatching exhausted him.”

“So is Willeth, she had no trouble making herself at home in my bed.” Clarke said lovingly.

“I’m sure.” Harper smiled then looked slightly worried “speaking of your dragon, I’d better check the med bay for Ontari…”

“Go look after your friend. We can talk later.” Clarke waved her off

“That’s right!” Harper beamed “We’ll be in the same classes” and with that she hurried off.

Clarke turned to Raven and Anya “Classes?”

“You didn’t think we’d let you mount a dragon and fight without training, did you?” Anya asked with a raised brow.

“Oh…of course not” Clarke replied feeling rather silly. She felt a bit daunted by the prospect of going to classes with a bunch of riders who had actually grown up in the hold. She didn’t know the first thing about dragons, and now she shared a soul with one. Great. “I’m feeling pretty tired I think I’ll go up to bed.”

“Alright,” Raven said, “Can you find your way to your quarters.”

“I remember where they are, Goodnight” she turned and sped toward her quarters without waiting for a reply

Clarke tore into her quarters, suddenly desperate to see Willeth, only to find to her horror that her bed was empty. She had lost a dragon within the first twenty-four hours of her hatching. She had lost her soul. Understandably, Clarke panicked. She searched through her mind frantically to find, to her utter confusion, that mentally Willeth was even more warm and content than when she left for the feast. Still sleeping. Did someone kidnap her dragon? Surely, she would have felt it. Clarke ripped apart her room, tearing her bedclothes off and searching through Willeth’s nest in her quarters to find nothing. Luckily her distress roused the sleeping dragonet. _I am alright, my Clarke, don’t worry. I am where I should be. You are not. You are not with me. Come here._ Clarke wanted to tear her hair out in frustration _Where is_ here, _Willeth?!_ Suddenly, Clarke felt a tug in her gut pulling her toward the door, presumably toward her dragon.

Clarke huffed but followed the tug. It led her out of their rooms and down the hall, further and further, when she came to what was quite obviously another dragon rider’s quarters. Clarke hoped and prayed it wasn’t whose she thought it was. Her hopes were dashed as she pushed aside dark curtains and entered the quarters to see Hedath curled up in his nest. The dragon blinked open a sleepy eye at Clarke. She approached slowly, the tug getting stronger, unsure how the silver dragon would react to her so close to his territory, and presumably, his rider. However, he just rubbed his head gently against Clarke’s side and went back to sleep, content to let her do as she pleased. Clarke passed the enormous snoozing dragon and crept closer to what she knew now to be the commander’s quarters. Her heartrate skyrocketed as her fingers closed around the curtain. _My Clarke? Why is your heart buzzing? There is no danger. Come here, it’s so_ warm _._

Clarke breathed deeply to prepare herself and quietly slipped into the commander’s quarters. There, looking as cozy as you please, lay Willeth dozing lightly on top of a soundly sleeping commander whose arms were wrapped tightly around her. Clarke was struck by how young Lexa looked without her warpaint and braids. The _commander of the hold_ was snuggling her dragon like a child’s stuffed animal. _Willeth! What are you doing here? This is not our bed. we have to leave before she wakes up._ The little dragon lazily raised her head to blink at Clarke. _No._ Clarke thought her eyes might pop out of her head. _What do you mean “no”? If you get caught here, we will be is so much trouble. You have no idea._ The dragonet rested her head back in the crook of Lexa’s neck. _You must come here. We sleep here now._ Clarke wrestled with the possibilities. She could always wake Lexa, apologize, and go back to her quarters with Willeth...but the dragonet didn’t look like she was going to budge. She could do as Willeth requested and join them... She shut _that one_ down almost as fast as her mind supplied it. She considered the only thing to do was go back to her quarters and get Willeth in the morning. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Willeth rebelled with a fury. _NO YOU WILL NOT LEAVE. MINE. MY CLARKE, YOU WILL STAY WITH ME._ Clarke threw up her hands in resignation. _FINE. Fine I’ll stay, but I’m not sleeping in the bed or where she can see me… I’ll… I’ll stay close… but I’m getting some sleep clothes, and we are discussing this in the morning_ she warned _Yes_ , Willeth replied smugly, _we shall have to._ _Lexa may need a bigger bed._ With that, the dragon went back to sleep.

Clarke crept out of the commander’s bedchambers and tried to figure out where she was going to sleep. When she returned, dressed for bed, hair undone, she still had no ideas. She paced in Hedath’s chambers wracking her brains until she finally gave up, lying on the cold floor… shivering. A soft grumble pulled her attention, and a huge claw swept down, scooped her up, and pulled her into Hedath’s great nest. The nest was filled with soft furs, pillows, glowing soft fluffs, and other trinkets that dragons love. The dragon arranged her by his side with a rumble pushing a pillow under her head and dragging a fur over her before curling himself tightly around her prone form. She wasn’t sure what she expected a dragon to smell like, but it certainly wasn’t sweet spices. Hedath was warm, and his purrs were comforting. It reminded her of home, and Clarke found herself slipping into a deep sleep. Well, if Lexa tried to kill her in the morning, she’d probably wait until Hedath was out of the line of fire, so that might buy her a few more minutes of life. As she drifted off, she heard Willeth say _There…an acceptable arrangement._

* * *

__

The next morning Clarke woke shivering. She burrowed down into the bedding trying to get warm and get back to sleep, but then she felt a little nose work its way under her arm and cuddle close. Willeth. The commander! Clarke shot upright realizing Hedath was no longer in his nest. Willeth had taken his place and was rather put out that Clarke had interrupted her snuggling. Clarke raised an eyebrow at the little dragon. _Well maybe we could have cuddled last night if you hadn’t snuck into bed with my commanding officer._ Wileth dumped herself onto Clarke’s chest knocking the wind out of her. _She was warm._ Clarke rolled her eyes, but pet the little creature anyway _Ah yes because that makes everything better. I could get in a lot of trouble for this._ She scolded. Wileth picked up her head. _Lexa wasn’t bothered, but she did say we need to go to breakfast at dawn._

_What time is it now?_

_Dawn._

_Great._


	9. The Learning Curve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Sooooo its been a hot sec life is crazy and this just didn't fit into my priorities but here's another chapter enjoy  
> ps no trigger warnings for this chapter loves  
> Toodles!

 

Clarke’s life developed into something of a routine after that first night.

 Wake.

 Feed Willeth.

 Dress.

 Go to Breakfast in the hall.

 Go to lessons while Willeth naps.

 Feed Willeth Lunch.

 Eat Lunch in the hall.

 More lessons while Willeth naps.

 Feed Willeth dinner. 

Eat dinner in the Hall

Bathe Willeth.

 Bathe herself.

 Sleep

Rinse. Repeat

The culture of the dragon riders was different than that of the clans, and for a while the learning curve was steep.  Clan-bred girls were raised to be quiet and demure. They were raised to be charming and soft. However, as much as the hold-bred liked to pretend clan-bred girls were weak, girls raised in the clan were brought up to be well organised and smart. Clan life may not have been as physically rough as Hold life but the politics were brutal. Clarke had been instructed in the ways of the clans from the time she could bat her lashes. She knew how to hide  her intentions with a smile and cheat a lord out of his last duckett in chess by winking at the right moment. So it would be inaccurate to say Clarke had no skills or even that her particular skills were not valued in the hold… its just that the skills she needed to be a dragon rider and the different facets of hold life were not taught in the clans. In fact many were discouraged. The hold and the clans simply didn’t connect or agree on _ anything _ . It was as if the Hold was this whole other savage world the clans didn't want to think about. They seemed to only look to the hold for how  _ not _ to live.

A Comprehensive List of Things Clan Ladies Simply  _ Did Not Do _ by Clarke (or rather a comprehensive list of things clan ladies simply did not do according to every governess Clarke had ever had.)

  1. Paint their faces 
  2. Tattoo their bodies
  3. Wear trousers
  4. Wear leathers 
  5. Get into scuffles 
  6. Get caught kissing the miller’s daughter, Niylah, on their sixteenth birthday 
  7. Ride on dragon back



There were many don’ts, and Clarke had done most of them within the last week. Eventually though, she managed to get over the initial culture shock and enjoy the freedoms her new life offered her. She was allowed to wear pants instead of dresses, she could speak to men unchaperoned and didn’t have to defer to her father or older cousin when making decisions about her day. No one was telling her what to eat, or wear. She was even being taught how to fight. It was liberating. And it in no way made up for the fact that she had been ripped from her home and had no way of knowing whether her family was even alive, but it helped. 

Willeth helped too. Having a piece of her soul in the body of a shiny scaled baby dragon was… something to get used to. Willeth was stubborn and sweet and loved having oil rubbed into her scales and hated being told she couldn't do something. So basically Clarke was getting a taste of her own medicine. Clarke had learned a lot about dragonets in the past week. For one they ate and slept more than anything (“at least for the first month they don’t do too much else” Raven said) And they grew fast. Willeth had grown even in the past week from the size of her (admittedly large) egg to that of a human toddler. Clarke was having trouble picking her up, the dragon was dense. They also acted like children. Dragonets were impulsive and didn’t much care for things like rules and decorum and whether it was really a good idea to curl up in bed with the Silver Commander.  She’d been successful thus far at keeping Willeth in their bed, figuring out that as long as she was cuddling her, the dragonet was content for the most part. (and wouldn’t go looking for the Commander)

So all in all life in the hold was idyllic. The only thing she really couldn't get behind was the whole “rising at dawn thing”. Maybe it was because Willeth insisted on waking her up by laying on top of her and smacking her in the face with her snout or tail until she spluttered awake 

_ Really  _ she thought,  _ every morning? Please tell me this won’t become a habit.  _ The little dragon just nuzzled under Clarke’s chin and answered  _ I’m hungry _ . Clarke gave in and got up, going to her wardrobe to dress for the day.  _ You know, eventually you’ll have to sleep in your own bed. You’re getting too big for mine _ . She thought as she pulled out tight brown leather pants and an earthy teal sweater. The dragonet followed Clarke around the room as she got ready.  _ In that case maybe I’ll sleep in Lexa’s room instead. She wouldn't throw me out of her bed  _ she pouted as Clarke’s eyes widened at the mention of Willeth’s first night in the hold. Clarke had been dutifully avoiding the commander since she found Willith in Lexa’s bed but she seemed unable to avoid Hedath who had taken to showing up at random moments throughout her day. The other riders seemed wary of the beast and Clarke honestly couldn’t fathom why. Hedath was downright cuddly with her. (after seeing Hedath’s nest and realizing he hoarded the small strange glowing gold fluffs that seemed to crop up in the hold, she found it hard to be intimidated by him).

Sighing, she slipped on her boots and led Willeth out of their rooms and to the feeding grounds where, as usual, the silver dragon was waiting for her. “How is it you’re always here first?” she asked scratching under his chin. Willeths voice in her head relayed his reply.  _ Lexa rises well before the sun. she believes the time before sunrise is the best time to think but for the most part she stares at the wall blearily until I force her up to feed.  _ Clarke snorted a laugh at that. “I’ll be back after breakfast,” she said “keep an eye on the little one for me” Hedath rumbled and threw his entire great wing over Willeth. Clarke ignored the little dragonet’s affronted squeak and headed to the great hall. 

As she walked, she adjusted both the straps of her satchel and her sweater to cover her shoulders. Clarke learned pretty quickly to keep her tattoo covered, because anyone who happened to take a good look at it ended up stuttering and even lowered their eyes from where it rested. It was strange but for all she knew maybe staring at tattoos was rude in the hold. Either way, she hadn't been brave enough to ask anyone about it yet. Clarke arrived at the great hall which was already buzzing with riders and seconds. She ruffled Madi’s hair when she passed her at the Second’s table, and was quickly waved over by Raven. “Got held up by the silver terror huh” she said bemusedly

Clarke rolled her eyes “Stop calling him that, and I’m not even late this morning” she chided

“Yes as opposed to every other morning” Anya said wryly sitting down next to Raven and pressing a soft kiss to the brunette’s temple. She slid a mug of tea and a full plate in front of Clarke. Anya was harsh but seemed intent on keeping Clarke well fed.

“It’s only breakfast it's not as if I’m late to lessons.”  Clarke mumbled digging in to her food. That was another great thing about the hold. The food. Orphida had an entire farm dedicated to the hold so the eggs, spiced meat and soft bread on Clarke’s plate was far better than anything she got in the clans.

“Yes well, best not be late to lessons today” Raven said wryly receiving an elbow from Anya.

Clarke looked up from her plate with a furrowed brow “Why?”

Anya huffed and answered “The Commander is teaching your lesson today. The care of your dragonets.”

Clarke went a bit pale at that. Although the Commander didn't seem keen on discussing Willeth’s “night time exploring” either, Clarke wasn't looking forward to getting trapped in those eyes again. Frankly, Lexa made her nervous.

Clarke swallowed carefully “Oh good.” she said her voice an octave too high “I’ve been getting tired of Titus droning on and on about “dragon decorum”'' 

Raven smirked “If you say so, Princess” she stood clearing her plate away and kissing Anya soundly “Well I’m off to patrol.”

“Where will you be?” Anya asked

“Eastern border” Raven answered “don’t worry I'll be safe, love”

“You better be” she grumbled as Raven left. Then turned to Clarke. “So why are you so weird about Lexa?” Anya was never one to mince words

“I'm not” Clarke said sharply then rose “and if what you say is true, I need to get to the lesson hall. Goodbye, Anya.”

With that, Clarke stopped by the feeding grounds where Willeth was being chased by Hedath, the ever begrudging nanny, brought her back to their rooms to rest, and went to her lessons. 

The lesson hall looked more like a lesson arena with stacked benches carved into the round walls and a stage below for demonstrations. The morning shown down slicing through the morning chill. Clarke plopped down by Octavia and Monroe, a red dragon rider, at the front of the hall.

“Did you hear we don’t have to listen to which dragon riders’ asses to kiss and which dragon riders’ boots to lick today” Monroe joked. In the past week many of the hold-bred girls had avoided Clarke and Octavia, but Monroe seemed to like them just fine. It had taken them a bit to get used to the crash way the hold-bred girl spoke, but Clarke found herself adjusting and enjoying the older girl’s company.

Octavia groaned “Oh thank the gods, If I have to listen to another lecture about the “dignity of the golden queens” and the “responsibility to hold and home” I think I’ll scream” 

Before Clarke could respond a low voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “Responsibility to your dragon is the discussion today Goldrider, and I’ll thank you and Rider Griffin to remember this is a lesson not a social gathering” The Commander intoned quietly one eyebrow raised and subsequently trapped Clarke like a hare in her green gaze .

“Yes Commander” they intoned 

“Hail young riders” Lexa said louder not taking her eyes off of Clarke’s

“Hail the commander of the blood” the entire hall responded

Lexa released Clarke and began pacing the length of the lesson hall. “Welcome to your first truly important lesson” she paused with a smirk “but don't tell Titus I said that” a laugh resounded throughout the students “the care of your dragonet. You have realized by now, dragonets need plenty of food and sleep and to be monitored at night to discourage any wandering” Clarke flushed at that rather obvious dig “but at this stage your dragons growth means…”

Clarke swore she was paying attention she really was, but she kept getting distracted. The commander's voice was a soothing lilt that made her feel warm all over. She was fascinated by the commanders graceful pacing around the stage of the lesson hall. There was no denying she was beautiful. In the morning light her hair looked like it glowed in the sunshine, and she was dressed as casually as Clarke had ever seen her, with soft brown pants and a deep blue top. This was a different commander without her weapons and metal and buckles. This commander looked pliable and soft and gentle and...

“Rider Griffin,” the melodic voice suddenly snapped “can you tell me the three pillars of dragon riding”

Clarke gaped for a minute as green eyes caught and pinned her

Lexa raised an eyebrow and continued “I thought not the..”

“Wisdom strength and compassion” Clarke answered quickly

Lexa stared for a moment, her face unreadable “Correct.”

She continued with the lesson luckily leaving Clarke alone to stare in peace.

At the end Octavia held out her handkerchief with a mischievous grin “For the drool” she said.

Clarke glared at her and left the lecture hall to find Willeth. Before she could get there, however, a lithe body blocked her way.

Lexa stared down at her intently “Rider Griffin, I hope you realize other instructors will not be as lenient with you as I was today. You would do well to remember that. Anya is especially fierce” she said with a twinkle in her eye Clarke found hypnotic.

She shook herself “Yes Commander” 

“Good.. well” did the commander seem… flustered for a moment? “Have a good day I’ll see you after lunch”

_ Tell Hedath his rider is weird _ she thought to Willeth confidant Hedath would keep Clarke’s joke to himself

As the months passed the lessons got more and more intense, and Willeth got bigger. Soon she really did have to sleep in her own bed, much to her chagrin. And Clarke really really wished she could say that the nighttime escapades stopped after that first night, but unfortunately Clarke found herself standing over Lexa’s bed again. Only this time Willeth was cradling Lexa like a doll. She really was growing fast, about half the size of Hedath at this point.

_ You have to get up _

_ No _

_ This isn’t your bed Get Up _

_ Make me _

_ You...I...Ugh _

With a groan she stomped over to Hedath and hissed out a “scoot over.” 

Luckily, she and Lexa did not discuss that incident either.  _ Luckily,  _ Willeth grew and it became less frequent as the dragon gained a sense of  _ personal boundaries _ and  _ manners _

By their fourth month the instructor had switched again to Raven of all people

“Alright” she strode in with a clap Farenth soaring in behind her. “Who can tell me which stone produces dragon fire when chewed?”

Those lessons were fun. They learned about the legend of the reapers and acid fog (apparent the reason for the injuries and equipment of both Raven and her dragon.) Reapers had not been seen for centuries, but sometimes small flares of the flesh eating gas would be released from undiscovered fields of fiend flowers and fire was the only thing that could get rid of it, hence the dragons.

“That's mainly what patrols are for. Well that, and making sure none of the clans try to break the Dragonian law or start a war” she said looking at her nails. Raven despite her apparent apathy was a good teacher. She especially liked to show off the special scientific qualities of different types of dragons, so Clarke and Octavia got a lot of information the kids raised in the hold took for granted. There were small dragons the sat on shoulders and did complex mathematics or furry long dragons that could keep the Hold cool in the summer. There were bright orange dragons like Maya’s that let off a glow and could heat up like a piece of coal. It was fascinating and Clarke couldn't believe that children in the clan didn't get to experience this kind of wonder. 

Why  _ Anya  _ was chosen to have the equivalent of  Dragon sex talk Clarke will never know. 

“So...Dragon mating” the entire class shifted uncomfortably, and Anya stared blank faced at them “Dragons mate when they are fully grown, usually after developing a close bond with another dragon and their rider. It happens during flight. Some dragons rise to mate often but for dragons of rank if happens less frequently. A dragon's choice to mate is a lifetime vow... Like swans” Why. Anya. “If your dragon rises to mate their rider also feels the compulsion too…” at this Anya’s brow furrowed as she tried to find a good way to explain dragon lust and sexual compulsion that comes with dragons mating. “...mate with the other rider. This is usually a lifetime bond as well”

She found herself grateful at the six month mark when Lexa strode into the hall looking as excited as the stoic Commander  _ could  _ look. “Welcome riders to the last six months of your training. Dragon flight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N well that's that. Thanks for reading quick reminder if you don't like the story you can just click that cute little x at the top of the page and keep your negative comments off my fic. Hate and constructive criticism are two veeeery different things.


	10. Sleeping Situations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo this was originally going to be a waaaay longer chapter, but I split it with the next one  
> No trigger warnings darlings, happy reading!

Flight was… about as incredible as it was when she rode with Lexa except now it was more because Clarke could truly fly with her dragon. The whole class was put to the task of flight training, something she was surprised to find she excelled at. And while Lexa was harsh, she was fair and did not hesitate to praise her students when earned. Every time a “ _ good _ Clarke” passed the commander’s lips a warmth filled the blonde, something she didn’t quite know what to do with. The only downside is she was sore and tired...really tired. As in, sleeping like a rock, tired.

Octavia, on the other hand, was not allowed to participate and made her displeasure known to all at 5 in the morning. Right outside of Clarke's bedchambers. “It’s not fair!” Octavia whined 

She heard Lincoln, who had been hovering around Octavia for a few months now, simply sigh “You know why we can’t let you, O. Zerath isn’t ready yet, She’s too small” Lincoln following O around was half his new assignment as the junior queen's personal guard, and half because Octavia was incapable of keeping out of trouble 

“But if you would just let us try….”

The arguing faded as they continued down the corridor, but Clarke was fully awake at this point. She stubbornly kept her eyes tightly closed, unwilling to wake before she absolutely had to. Quickly though, she registered a weight on her chest and she thought for a mad moment that Willeth had shrunk and crawled into her bed (she discarded that idea Willeth was far too big to even get into the door of Clarke’s room). Curiously, she opened her eyes halfway and was shocked to see brown curls sprawled across her chest and the body of the silver commander pinning her to the bed. Lexa’s arms and legs were twisted around Clarke like vines and tightened when she stirred. As soon as her mind caught up to her blue eyes popped open fully as she took in the girl snuggling into her. They were touching in so many places from head to toe that Clarke couldn’t tell where she ended and Lexa started. Wasn’t this against some kind of rule? She was sure Titus would have something to say about the decorum and dignity of the silver commander and the duty of and Emerald rider. That being said, it was hard to be intimidated by the commander when her cold little nose was tucked into the soft spot just behind Clarke’s ear and her body laid directly on top of hers

Fortunately, (or maybe unfortunately) the girl sensed Clarke stirring and began to wake.. Clarke’s eyes widened further when Lexa yawned into her neck and streeeeched out on top of her. The brunettes peaceful waking was short lived as she finally took in exactly who she was stretching on. Green eyes flashed as she practically leapt from the bed, elbowing Clarke's stomach drawing an “ _ oof _ ” from the blonde. 

“I..I ...I was… I'm so...I….ah..” Lexa stammered standing red-faced before Clarke in her thin black nightdress “I’m so sorry” and with that turned and fled the room.

Clarke put it down to it being a weird morning, but it kept happening, to her astonishment. By the sixth morning in a row Clarke simply raised a brow when Lexa pulled herself away from where she was trying to bury herself between Clarke’s breasts. And sighed when Lexa ran from the room...again. They developed a routine. Clarke would wake to Lexa on top of her or spooning her, (or burrowed beneath her one morning) Lexa would wake, panic, and flee the room without so much as an explanation

Worse, Clarke wasn’t entirely sure how to bring it up with her during daylight hours. So she steeled herself and compromised… by bringing it up with Anya.

At hearing about Lexa’s late night break ins Anya looked ...rather stricken.

“That's... actually not uncommon as you would think.” Anya said hesitating for a bit “She’s… well she's sleepwalking”

“Sleepwalking.” Clarke said disbelievingly 

Anya rolled her eyes and snarked “Is there an echo? Yes, sleepwalking. It happens when... well... it probably doesn't mean  _ that  _ in this case. So it really isn't important so don't worry about why.” she started to load beef onto Clarke’s plate “You aren't eating. You need your strength. Eat.” she said her face returning to its stoic mask as she busied herself.

“Ok but I can't just wake up with the commander every morning” Clarke hissed back, glancing around at the other people at breakfast.

Raven smirked “Well, princess do you actually want her to stop?”

Clarke went to retort that  _ yes it had to stop _ before actually considering Raven’s question. She had actually been sleeping really well the past few nights, not to mention fall was descending upon the clans, and Willeth was right. Lexa was warm.

Before she could answer Anya intervened “It doesn't matter” she snapped “It will stop soon… probably”

Clarke couldn't help but notice she didn't actually sound very convinced.

 

So Clarke did her best to ignore it. Well, as much as one can ignore a whole person appearing in their bed each morning. Besides, she had other things to worry about. Her family, for one. When she had made the deal with Lexa in the beginning to come to the hold and stand on the hatching grounds, she hadn’t expected to bond. And she definitely hadn’t expected to have to train for a year before she was a fully fledged dragon rider. At this point she had been in the hold for a good nine months, and she  _ still  _ wasn't able to leave to find her family and frankly she was getting restless. The reports coming in from the clans, especially Skaikru, were getting worse. Great houses burning, children missing, and whole flocks of livestock being massacred was only the beginning, she was sure of it. Bringing this up with the commander in her study didn’t go as well as she hoped.

“No”

“But we have to..”

Lexa put up her hand to silence the blonde “Your duty is here, Clarke. What if there is an attack…”

“Reapers haven't been seen for centuries and they are not the only threat to the clans obviously” Clarke said exasperated by how cool Lexa was being about this.

“Just because they have not been seen recently does not mean they aren’t a threat. If they decide to show up again, we need to be ready and only dragon fire can cut through the huge cloud acid fog that comes after.”

“But if the reapers-“

“Enough,” Lexa slammed her hand down on her oak desk “Willeth is still too young to fly beyond Ophidia and we cannot risk a single fighting dragon they are too valuable to us”

Clarke’s eyes widened in rage and disbelief “And my family? My father? You said-“

“I said once you were a dragon rider you could find out what happened to your family yes and you will. But I won’t let you risk yourself and Willeth by flying headfirst into something you know nothing about.” Lexa said pinching the bridge of her nose

“But-”

“My word is final

“You can’t just…”

“I will do what is best for these clans and this hold. If you cannot respect that Get. Out.”

Clarke fumed “You would think someone so keen on warming my bed would have some faith in me” it was a low blow but she was tired of the evasion and the feeling stirring through her and being kept in the dark about  _ everything. _

Lexa’s face burned red as she hissed deadly and furious “ _ Get. Out. _ ”

And that just made Clarke see red. So she did something stupid. Really Stupid.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello All! this fic popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone. Don't worry there will be dragons soon, these are just some important tidbits before we get to that. And yes it will get less dark. If you've read the Dragon rider of Pern series you will notice some similarities, but to anyone familiar with the books I have taken some liberties with the rules of dragonlore. Leave a Comment below to let me know what you think!  
> Toodles!


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